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^1 



CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY 

^]¥OTES, 

ON MANY PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE, 

(of the new test^^mestt chiefly)) 

WHICH TO COMMON READERS ARE HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD. 

CONTAINING, ALSO, 

AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE GENUINE BEAUTY AND 
FORCE OF SEVERAL OTHER PASSAGES. 



BY EZEKIEL J. CHAPMAN, A. M. 

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL. 



SECOND EDITION, 
With many additions and improvements. 



" So they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly, and gave the 
Bnse, and caused them to iM^rstand tl^ reading." — Nehemiah viii, 8. 



C <* 



UTICA: 

PRINTED BY HASTINGS & TRACY. 
1831. 



^.P'^l>r%\ 



Northern District op New -York, to wit:— 
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the fifteenth day of Januairy, in tlic 
fifty-fifth year of the independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1831, 
e/ekiel J. Chapman, of the said district, has deposited m this office the 
title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as author, m the words foUowingj 
to wit : — 

"Critical and explanatory Notes on many Passages of Scripture, (of the 
New Testament chiefly), which to common readers are hard to be understood. 
Containing, also, an Illustration of the genuine Beauty and Force of several 
other Passages. By Ezekiel J. Chapman, A. M. Minister of the Gospel.- 
Second edition, with many additions and improvements. < So they read m 
the book, in the law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them 
to understand the reading.'— Nehemiah viu, 8." 

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An 
act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies ot maps, charts 
and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times 
therein mentioned ;" and also, to the act, entitled " An act supplementary to 
an act, entitled ' An act for the encouragement of learmng, by securing the 
copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of such cop- 
ies, during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof t® 
the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints. 

RUTGER B, MILLER, 
Clerk of the Northern District of New-YorJu 



fif 



PREFACE 

TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



It is acknowledged by Christians of every name, that 
there is no book so important as the Bible. This acknow- 
ledgment is grounded on the conviction they have, that the 
Bible is the word of God ; who, as they rightly judge, would 
never be concerned in making any communications to man- 
kind, but what were both worthy of himself, and interesting 
to them. If the Bible be, as it professes to be, a revelation 
from Heaven, every attempt made for the illustration of its 
contents must, of course, be laudable ; and if made judi- 
ciously, cannot fail to be, in a greater or less degree, bene- 
ficial. Let no one conclude from the fact of the divine 
origin of the Bible, (a fact which is here taken for granted), 
that it needs no illustration ; that it must be already suffi- 
ciently plain and intelligible. The contrary to this would 
be the more reasonable inference. So far as such a reve- 
lation should relate directly to our own duty, and our own 
most important interests ; so far we might expect to find it 
plain, and easy to be understood, so that the way-faring 
man, though a fool, need not err therein. And precisely of 
this character the JBible is found to be in this view. But a 
revelation from Heaven must be supposed to relate to other 
subjects than these, and subjects of far more difficult com- 
prehension. Indeed, if thei scriptures contained nothing but 
what we could easily and fully understand, it would rather 
be a presumptive evidence against their divine, and in favor 
of their mere human origin. For what man can fully com- 
prehend, man might, for aught we know, have also origina- 
ted. It is accordingly found to be a fact, and it is generally 
acknowledged, that the scriptures do contain some things 



IV PREFACE.. 

which are hard to be understood. This is expressly declared 
by St. Peter, in respect to the epistles of St. Paul ; and it 
is equally true of many other parts of the sacred volume. 
To us, who live at a period so remote from that when the 
scriptures were written, the difficulty of understanding cor- 
rectly and fully some parts of them, must be peculiarly 
great. Many things related in scripture — the parables, for 
instance, and many of the metaphors and illustrations there 
employed — refer to manners and customs prevalent among 
the Jews and the surrounding heathen nations, in that early 
age ; and of course cannot be fully understood without a 
knowledge of those manners and customs, which were in 
many respects very different from ours. To understand 
correctly and fully such parts of the sacred volume, and to 
enter fully into the spirit of them, it is necessary that we 
should, as it were, forget our own times, and throw ourselves 
back into the early ages, two or three thousand years ago. 
It is for want of this preparatory knowledge — this knowledge 
of ancient and eastern manners and customs — that many 
things in scripture, which were perfectly familiar and intel- 
ligible to the Jews, are so unintelligible and so uninteresting 
to us. Besides, the scriptures were originally written in 
languages very different, as to their structure and idiom, 
from ours ; and this circumstance ought to be remembered 
by all those who would correctly interpret them. In some 
instances, (few indeed, comparatively), where our English 
Bible presents no difficulty, we fail of perceiving the real 
*' mind of the Spirit," for want of a more correct translation. 
In such cases, the passages, as we have them, may not 
indeed be hard to be understood, but are liable to be mis- 
understood ; that is, to be understood in a sense different 
from that which the Holy Ghost intended. In other cases, 
the difficulty attending a passage, as it stands in our version, 
would be removed by an acquaintance with the original 
language. It is an auspicious feature of the present age, 
that so much attention is paid to Jewish antiquities, and to 
sacred philology, especially in our theological seminaries. 
No human sciences are so indispensable as these are, to a 
correct interpretation of the word of God. Sound philology 
is of far greater use in this business than philosophy. The 



PREFACE. 



ptovince of the former is to ascertain what the scriptures 
do mean. The business of the latter frequently is to deter- 
mine what they should mean, in order that they may support 
some preconceived sentiments, or some favorite system. 
Far be it from me to insinuate that the holy scriptures can 
ever be rightly interpreted, or even understood so as to 
make us wise unto salvation, without assistance superior to 
that which mere human learning, or human science of any 
kind, can give. No ; there must in both cases be divine 
illumination — the aids of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. ii, 11-14.) 
It would, however, be mere presumption in us, to expect 
that God will in this case, more than in others, work for us 
without the use of the appropriate means on our part. 

But waving general remarks on this subject, I proceed 
to say a few things with more immediate reference to the 
work now offered for the second time to the public. The 
object I have in vievs^ in this work is not so much to instruct 
the learned, (though it is believed some parts of it will prove 
interesting and useful to them), as to furnish plain common 
people with a compendious exposition of such passages of 
scripture, as they are in the habit of proposing to ministers, 
and as many of them have proposed to me, for explanation. 
It is not enough, as it respects them, that such passages are 
explained by our best commentators and critics, so far as 
the hght they had enabled them to give the explanation. 
Their works are in general so expensive, that many cannot 
purchase them. At the same time, they are, at least in 
many places, so rare as to be accessible only by a few. A 
compendium of judicious criticism, and of explanatory re- 
marks on important difficult passages of the Bible, adapted 
to the understandings, and designed for the benefit of the 
common people, has long appeared to me as a desideratum 
in theology. Such a compendium I have endeavored to 
furnish. How successful I have been in the attempt, others 
qualified to judge must decide. In preparing the following 
work, I have had in view, also, the benefit of bible classes, 
and of Sabbath schools. Among all the books introduced 
into those youthful seminaries, I have never yet either seen 
or heard of any work like the present. And something of 
the kind, some convenient manual of sacred criticism, and 
1* 



n ?REEACE. 

of explanatory remarks on the scriptures, certainly appears 
to be mwch needed by them. My concern (so far as exe- 
gesis is concerned) has been with such passages only, as ap* 
peared to me to need explanation, and these I have endeavor?- 
ed to explain as concisely as possible. To an intelligent and 
reflecting mind it will readily occur, that the preparation of 
a work of this kind must be attended with great and peculia!* 
difficulties. I have found it to be so. On many of the 
difficult passages of scripture our best commentators them- 
selves are not fully agreed. I can only say I have done 
what I could. It would be both tedious and needless to 
enumerate all the various and numerous authors whom I 
have consulted in reference to the following work, and with 
the view to render it as accurate as possible. Several of 
them are mentioned in the body of the work itself. Above 
all, I have diligently and prayerfully examined the holy 
scriptures themselves in their original languages, and have 
made considerable use of the Septuagint. What is here 
offered to the public-is the fruit of much thought, as well as 
of much reading. I can truly say with Bishop Home, in 
the preface to his Commentary on the Psalms, " Much labor 
hath here been bestowed, where little appears." The first 
edition of this work was well recommended by judges qua- 
lified to decide on its merits, and has proved useful to many. 
This second edition contains many corrections and improve- 
ments on the first, together with much additional matter ; 
and will, it is hoped, be considered as far more valuable, 
and prove far more useful than that. No uninspired author 
is infallible ; and it would be strange indeed, if the following 
work should be free from errors. It is believed, however, 
that whatever they may be, they are not such as can mate- 
rially affect any important article of christian faith or practice. 
The work, such as it is, I now commend to God, the great 
source and patron of truth, with the earnest wish and prayer, 
that it may please Him to make it very useful to all who 
may have access to it, and who feel desirous to understand 
the scriptures. 

E. J. CHAPMAN. 

Manlius, JV. Y. January 1, 1831. 



CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY 
JTOTES, &c. 



MATTHEW. 

Chapter hi, Verse 12. 
*^ He will bum up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'^ 
This prediction of John the Baptist alludes to the follow- 
ing practice of people in his days. Having winnowed the 
grain, and thus separated the chaff from the wheat, they set 
fire to the former on the windward side. The fire in that 
case had such an advantage over the chaff, that it would not 
cease until the chaff had been utterly consumed. Thus the 
fire was unquenchable. And thus figuratively and impres- 
sively does the Baptist represent the ivorthlessness of hypo- 
crites, (for they in a moral sense are the chaff), and also 
their complete and eternal ruin. See Burder's Customs. 

Chap, v, 13. 

" Ye are the salt of the earth." 

The use of material salt is two-fold — to preserve and to 
season. For the first of these purposes, we apply it to meats, 
and to those other substances that we wish to preserve from 
putrefaction ; and for the latter purpose, it is daily placed 
on our tables, and is usually considered as an indispensable 
article for every family. In a sense correspondent to this 
two-fold use of material salt, true Christians, and christian 
ministers especially, may be called the salt of the earth ; for 
when they act as such — act in character, and do not " lose 
their savor," they are the means, the instrumental causes of 
preserving this guilty world from destruction. They prove 
the means of this by their prayers especially, as appears in 
the case of Moses praying for the Israelites, and in other 



8 CRITICAL AND 

similar cases mentioned in the scriptures. At the same 
time, so far as they act in character, they become the means 
of seasoning the minds of their fellow men with grace and 
true wisdom. How desirable, then, in this view, is it, that 
their number should greatly increase ! 

Verse 21. 

" Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old 
time, thou shalt not kill." 

The original may as well be translated thus : — It hath 
been said to the ancients, i. e. God hath said to the ancients, 
thou shalt not kill. The design of our Saviour in this verse, 
and in those other parts of this chapter where the same 
phraseology occurs, seems to have been, to remind the 
Jews of what the Lord had said of those precepts and pro- 
hibitions which the Lord had given to their fathers, as well 
as of those glosses, and erroneous or partial interpretations, 
which had been put upon them by their fathers and rabbis. 
At the same time, his design was to explain those precepts 
and prohibitions ; to illustrate their spiritual and comprehen- 
sive import, in opposition to what their Wind guides had said. 

Verses 23, 24. 

" Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there 
rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave 
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy v/ay ; first be re- 
conciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." 

It is well known to be the practice of individuals in some 
of our churches, to absent themselves from communion at 
the Lord's table, because some others who approach that 
sacred ordinance have either injured them personally, or 
have in other respects acted in a manner unbecoming their 
christian profession ; and that these passages have been 
sometimes mentioned or referred to, in vindication of such 
a practice ; but surely without reason. For a moment's 
careful attention must convince us, that the direction before 
us respects not the aggrieved party, but the one who had 
caused grief. These words of Christ relate not to the one 
who had received the offence, but to the one who had given 
the offence. He (the latter, and not the former) is the one 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 9 

who is to defer the offering of his gift ; or (as it may mean 
in reference to us Christians) the coming to the Lord's table, 
until he shall have become reconciled to his brother ; or at 
least until he -shall have faithfully endeavored to become so, 
by making all reasonable acknowledgments and conces- 
sions, or explanations, as the case may require. No one 
has a right to stay away from the sacramental communion, 
and so disobey a plain command of Christ, (1 Cor. xi, 25), 
merely because another has done wrong. 

Verse 39. 

" But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil ; but whoso- 
ever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other 
also." 

The word evil in this passage denotes not the evil One, 
for him we are expressly commanded to resist, (James iv, 
7) ; nor the evil thing or moral evil, viz. sin, for this we are 
commanded both to resist and to mortify ; but it denotes 
the evil man, the unreasonable and angry assailant. For 
proof of this, nothing more is necessary than a mere atten- 
tion to the whole passage : — " I say unto you, that ye resist 
not (or rather not to resist) evil ; but whosoever shall smite 
thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." 

Chap, vi, 30. 

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which 
to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not 
much more clothe you, ye of little faith." 

From Drs. Russell and Shaw, we learn, that on account 
of the extreme scarcity of fuel, the orientals use the dry 
stalks of herbs and flowers, of rosemaiy, and of various other 
plants, to make fire, and to heat their ovens. To common 
readers, casting grass or herbage into ovens, sounds strange ; 
but such, for the reason just mentioned, has long been the 
practice in Judea, and in the countries adjacent. 

Verse 34. 
" Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow." 
In the delivery of this precept, our Saviour did not design 
to prohibit, or discourage absolutely, all care and concern 



10 . CRITICAL AND 

about our future worldly condition, but merely to repress 
solicitude or anxiety about it ; as must be evident both from 
the precise import of the original verb, which signifies to 
take anxious thought, and also from the fact that such abso- 
lute indifierence would be altogether inconsistent with our 
performing, as we ought, our proper business in life, and 
even with our very subsistence. 

Chap, vii, 21. 

" Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall 
enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will 
of my Father, which is in heaven." 

The Jews (says Thomas Hartwell Home, in his Intro- 
duction to the Study of the Bible), "had a notion that all 
Jews would certainly be saved. Turretin brings a passage 
from the Codex Sanhedrim, which affirms that every Jew 
had a portion in the future world, and another from the Tal- 
mud, viz. that Abraham is sitting near the gates of hell, and 
does not permit any Israelite, however wicked he may be, 
to descend into hell. Now, in opposition to such traditions 
as these, Jesus Christ says — Not every one that saith unto 
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." 
But though our Saviour might have alluded primarily to such 
notions as these, we are not to suppose that this solemn de- 
claration of his concerned the Jews only. It is as true of 
us, as it ever was of them, that not every one that saith, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Let 
us not satisfy ourselves with a mere profession, nor with 
any thing short of doing the will of our heavenly Father, 
remembering it is they only that do his commandments, that 
will have right to the tree of hfe, or that can enter in through 
the gates into the city. (Rev. xxii, 14.) 

Verse 23. 
" I never knew you :" — Not that Christ never knew them 
as creatures, as men. The meaning is, he never knew 
them in the sense of approbation, i. e. he never approved 
of them. In this sense is the word repeatedly used in scrip- 
ture, as in 1 Cor. viii, 3 : — " But if any man love God, the 
fame is known of biro," i, e. approved of him ; and in GaU 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 11 

iv, 9 : — " But now after that ye have known God, or rather 
are known of God" — approved of God. 

Chap, viii, 22. 

" Let the dead bury their dead ;" i. e. let the spiritually 
dead, those dead in trespasses and sins, bury their dead. 
They are competent to that business ; they can perform all 
the necessary funeral rites for their departed friends. But 
thou hast other business — " Go thou, and preach the king- 
dom of God." 

Chap, viii, 4. 

" And Jesus saith unto him, see thou tell no man; but go 
thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and^ offer the gift that 
Moses commanded for a testimony unto them." 

The gift here mentioned denotes the gift or offering of 
birds and lambs, as prescribed in Lev. xiv, 1 — 32, for the 
cleansed leper. These he was to offer in presence of the 
Jewish priest, whose official duty it was, to pronounce him 
in that case legally clean ; and all this was to be done " for 
a testimony unto them," i. e. the Jews, that the leper was 
legally cleansed. From the whole system of divine insti- 
tutes relative to the plague of leprosy, and particularly from 
the extreme caution and diligence with which the priest was 
to proceed in his examination of the person suspected to be 
the subject of it, we may learn how careful and how faithful 
ecclesiastical judicatories should be, in examining and dis- 
ciplining the members of the church, and especially those of 
them whose " spot is not the spot of God's children." For 
the loathsome disease of leprosy undoubtedly represents sin, 
the still more loathsome disease of the soul. Once more : 
From our Lord's particular direction to the healed leper, it 
is demonstrable, that the Jewish dispensation was not then 
abohshed ; that, on the contrary, its ceremonial injunctions 
remained in undiminished force. 

Chap, xii, 5. 

*' Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath 
days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are 
blameless ?' 

It is well known that under tjie Jewish economy, the pro- 



12 CRITICAL AND 

fanation of the Sabbath was uniformly represented and uni- 
versally considered as a very heinous sin. So heinous was 
it, that next to idolatry it seems to have been to the Jews 
the most procuring cause of divine judgments. How, then, 
could the profaners of that holy day have been pronounced, 
and by Christ himself too, as blameless 1 Or was there any 
thing in the character, circumstances, or official prerogatives 
of the priests, which allowed them to transgress, with impu- 
nity, an express command of Jehovah, and that, too, in the 
very sanctuary — in the sacred temple itself? Our Lord in 
this place evideatly refers to those sacrifices, in the offering 
of which, the priests, by virtue of their office, were to be en- 
gaged. As if he had said, " Do not the priests on the Sab- 
bath kill, flay, and burn the beasts devoted to sacrifice, and 
do other such like things, which, in a common case, and 
where divinely instituted worship was not at all concerned, 
would profane the Sabbath? And if they could, with impu- 
nity, thus violate the rest to be observed on the Sabbath, 
certainly a compassionate God, who requireth mercy and 
not sacrifice, or mercy before sacrifice, would not condemn, 
nor ought the Pharisees to condemn, a man, merely because 
to satisfy the cravings of hunger, he had plucked and eaten 
\a few ears of corn on that day. " The Sabbath was made 
for man, not man for the Sabbath." 

Verse 40. 

" For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the 
whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and 
three nights in the heart of the earth." 

A serious difficulty seems to attend the last part of this 
verse, viz. in reconciling it with the account given by the 
Evangelists, respecting the time of our Lord's continuance 
in the grave. On first view, there is certainly an apparent 
discordance between the prediction of the Master and the 
statements of the disciples. According to Matthew, Mark, 
and Luke, Christ was crucified on Friday at the ninth hour, 
or at three o'clock, P. M., as we reckon time ; and all the 
Evangelists agree in stating, that he arose on the first day of 
the week, before the approach of day-light. How, then* 
could he have been three days and three nights in the heairt 



SlXPLANAtORT NOtES. 13 

^f the earth, or in the grave ? Strictly speaking, he was there 
only eight or nine hours of the first day, the whole of the 
second day, and perhaps four or five hours of the third day. 
The embarrassment caused by this passage may be at once 
removed, by only attending to the chronological reckoning 
of the Jews. What that was, we may learn from a careful 
consideration of a few such passages as the following : — 
1 Kings, XX, 29. '' And they pitched one over against the 
other seven days, and so it was that in the seventh day the 
battle was joined." Esther iv, 16: " Go gather together 
all the Jews th^t are present in Shushan, and fast ye for 
me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I, 
also, and my maidens, will fast likewise." Compare this 
with chapter v, 1 : " Now it came to pass on the third day^ 
that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner 
court of the king's house." Luke ii, 21 : ** And when eight 
days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, 
his name was called Jesus." Now the general remark, 
which the above texts and others like them manifestly sug- 
gest and justify, is this, viz : — The Jews sometimes reckoned 
ii, part of a day for the whole day. The truth of this appears 
from each of the above mentioned texts. In the first of 
them, seven days are mentioned ; but it could not have 
been seven whole days, because on the seventh day " the 
battle was joined" — drew on, or came on. On that day, 
then, the encampment ceased, and actual engagement en- 
sued. At what particular part of the seventh day, the fight- 
ing comfnenced, we are not informed ; but any one acquaint- 
ed with the usual practices of belligerents would conclude, 
of course, that it must have been some considerable time 
before dark. But still the encampment is said to have last- 
ed seven days. In the second of these passages, we have 
Esther's proposal or direction to Mordecai, to gather to- 
gether the Jews, that they might fast for her three days, both 
night and day, neither eating nor drinking during the whole 
of that period ; also, on account of her own resolution to 
subject herself to the same self-denying regimen. But it is 
• said, " Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the 
inner court of the king's house." If, then, Esther executed 
H^her resolution, (which none, I believe, denies), she muet 

2 



14 CRITICAL AND 

have fasted three days and three nights. But this, in the 
literal sense of the words, was impossible, because on the 
last of these days she put on her royal apparel, and appear- 
ed in the presence of king Ahasuerus, to see whether she 
might obtain favor in his sight : In plain English, she ceased 
fasting before the third day closed. Still, according to the 
Jewish reckoning, which frequently acknowledged a part of 
a dtiy for the whole day, she might be said to have fasted 
three days. In the last of these passages, we are told that 
'^ w^hen eight days were accomplished, for the circumcising 
of the child, his name was called Jesus," i. e. he was cir- 
cumcised with that name. But, surely, there could not 
have been an interim of eight whole days (each consisting 
of twenty-four hours) between the time of his birth and that 
of his circumcision ; for on the first of these days he was 
born, and on the last of them he was circumcised ; and it 
would be very absurd to suppose, that his birth took place 
the very first hour and first minute of the first day, and that 
his circumcision was put off until the very last hour and last 
minute of the eighth day. In strict accordance, however, 
to the idiom of the Hebrew, it might be said, " eight days 
were accomplished" between these two events. Enough 
has been said to show, that according to the Jewish reckon- 
ing and phraseology^ Christ might, with propriety, be said 
to have been " three days and three nights in the heart of 
the earth," or in the grave. I may add, that the Jews never 
brought any objection against Christ, to prove he v/as a false 
prophet, from these words of his,' or from this his prediction 
respecting himself; which they surely would have done, if 
the prediction itself had not been fulfilled ; that is, if he had 
not in fact lain three days and three nights in the grave, ac- 
cording to their method of reckoning time, \ 

Verses 43, 44. 

" When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walk- 
eth through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then 
he saith, I will return into mine house from whence I came 
out ; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and 
garnished," &c. 

^rom the expression in our English Bible, *' he waiketh 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 15 

througli dry places, seeking rest," &c. many readers proba- 
bly suppose, that the dispossessed man is here meant. But 
this is a mistake. It is not the man, but the unclean spirit, 
who is here figuratively represented as walking through dry 
places, seeking rest, and finding none. One proof of this 
is, that in the original Greek, the participles rendered seek- 
ing, having come, are in the neuter gender, and must, of 
course, according to the rules of syntax, agree with the an- 
tecedent, 'ff'vsujxa — spirit. By this parable, our Saviour meant 
to represent the moral state and final doom of the Jews, as 
a people. Having remarked that the evil spirit went, and 
took with himself seven other spirits more wicked than him- 
self, and thus fortified, re-entered his old habitation ; He 
added, " even so shall it be also unto thisiviched generation.''^ 
As applied to them, it denoted that the hosts of hell and 
powers of darkness perceiving that they were unable to with- 
stand the artillery of truth, as managed by John Baptist, 
Jesus Christ, and his apostles, would flee for safety to the 
Gentile nations, which had always been in the moral sense 
"dry places," having never yet been watered from '' the, 
river of God." There, however, they would be as unable 
to find rest as before. Nay, as the triumph of the gospel 
among the Gentiles would be both more decisive and more 
general than it had been among the Jews, the evil spirit 
would perceive himself to be in greater danger, and be moro 
alarmed than before, and would therefore return with seven- 
fold rage and violence to his former possession, the Jewish 
nation ; a prediction, which, with awful exactness, has been 
fulfilled upon that devoted people. The parable is also ap- 
plicable to individuals, as such. And 0, how many there 
are among ourselves, of whom it is but too just a represen- 
tation ; who hear the word of God, and are convinced of its 
truth, and of their own great wickedness and moral ruin, 
and become indeed partially reformed ; so far, at least, that 
the evil spirit leaves them. They leave off* and forsake 
their former wicked practices. But as they are not truly 
converted, as no good spirit enters into them, and they have 
'' no root in themselves," their reformation, such as it is, 
proves of short duration : And how often, after the Holy 
Spirit has ceased to strive with them, do they become seven* 



15 CRITICAL AND 

fold worse than they were before ! Reader, is this the case 
with you 1 Pause, and think. 

Chap. XIII, 30. 

" Let both grow together until the harvest ; and in the 
time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather together 
tirst the tares, and bind them in bundles, to burn them ; but 
gather the wheat into my barn." 

It is not my present design to explain particularly " the 
parable of the tares of the field." An infallible expositor 
hath already done this, as you may see by consulting that^ 
paragraph of this chapter which commences with the 36th, 
and ends with the 43d verse. One or two sentences, how- 
ever, in our Lord's exposition, it is to my present purpose 
here to insert, because they furnish an explanation, and of 
course a correct one, of several terms used in the passage 
before us, viz : — *' The good seed (i. e. the wheat) are the 
children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of 
the wicked one ; the harvest is the end of the world, and the 
reapers are the angels." We have, then, Christ's authority 
for understanding the terms tares and ivheaf, as denoting 
saints and sinners, the righteous and the wicked. But why 
then, it may be asked, is it necessary to be so particular 
and so strict, as many ministers and ecclesiastical judica- 
tories are, or at least profess to be, in regard to the moral 
qualifications of candidates for church-membership and com-!- 
munionl For does not Christ here, in the person, of the 
householder, direct that both sincere Christians and hypo- 
crites be permitted to belong to his visible church, until the, 
time of the general harvest, (or end of the world, verse 39), 
when, and not before, the separation is to be made ? In re- 
ply to this query, which appears at first very plausible, the 
following very important remark must be made, viz : that 
this direction has no reference to the introduction of persons 
into the church ; it does not specify, nor does it at all refer 
to the qualifications which persons must have, in order to 
join the church of Christ. On the contrary, it supposes, 
that by some means or other these persons are already in 
the church ; and the direction relates merely to the manner > 
of treating them after they are there. Our Saviour in seve* 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 17 

ral of his parables — as that of the ten virgins, that of the 
net cast into the sea, and in this of the tares — evidently 
supposes that hypocrites are, and will be, in his visible 
t hurch. This He supposes, and takes for granted, merely 
as a matter of fact, without, however, expressing his appro- 
bation of it. On the contrary, He implicitly proclaims his 
disapprobation of it in declaring, that though He had sowed 
the good seed, the tares were sown by an enemy, the devih 
The general import of the text now under consideration is, 
in brief, only this, viz : — that after the tares have in fact 
gotten in among the wheat, or hypocrites among the godly, 
it is too late, it is impossible, for the servants of the house- 
holder, for christian ministers, to make any thorough discri- 
mination and separation between them. It has been re- 
marked by such as were acquainted with the ancient tares, 
that in the first stages of their growth, they looked so much 
like the wheat, that it was nearly impossible for the most 
piercing human eye to distinguish the one from the other. 
The difference could not be fully seen until they had begun 
to head ; that is, a little before harvest. In like manner, 
hypocrites are frequently, in all outward respeciSj very simi- 
lar to true Christians. For ministers, therefore, to attempt 
a thorough separation of the one from the oiher, would b© 
not only in vain, a fruitless labor, but very dangerous also ; 
chiefly, because in rooting up the tares, they might root up 
the wheat also with them. But it is a solemn truth, that 
this separation will be made another day. Christ v/ill then 
come with his fan in his hand, and will thoroughly purge his 
floor ; but the tares and the chaff" He will burn up with un- 
quenchable fire. 

Chap, xiv, 26. 

" The disciples were troubled, saying, it is a spirit ;" that 
is, a spectre, an apparition, for the word in the Greek is not 
fltv£'j|xa, but (pavTajfxa. 

Chap, xvi, 18. 

*' And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter ; and up- 
on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it." 

By the rock on which Christ^s church is built, must be 
intended either Christ himself, who in other places is called 

2* 



18 CRITICAL AND 

a stone and a rock, (see Ps. cxviii, 22, compared with Mat 
xxi, 42, and Isa. xxxii, 2), or that article of faith which Pe- 
ter had just professed, vi;z. that Christ was the Messiah, the 
Son of the living God. But what is meant by the last 
clause of the verse, " the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it ?" In reply, it may be observed, that whenever 
any particular \yord or phrase is the key to any passage of 
scripture ; that is, whenever any such word or phrase can 
of itself open and discover the true meaning of any such 
passage, (as is sometimes the case, and seems to be so 
here) ; it of course becomes necessary to investigate the 
import of that word or phrase, as used in other passages. 
No difficulty attends this sentence, but what arises from 
the phrase, " gates of hell," -ruXai a(5ou. If, therefore, we 
can ascertain the import of these words, we may perceive 
at, once the import of the sentence itself. As to the word 
here translated hell, see a more particular explanation than 
can be here given, in my notes on Acts ii, 27. It denotes, 
generally, the invisible state of the dead, the region of de- 
parted spirits. Sometimes, it means the grave ; and such 
seems to be its most proper meaning in this place. A gate 
is that which opens to a way, and afterwards leads to some 
place. So the gates of the grave, or of death, are such 
things as lead to the grave, or death and destruction, such 
as sickness, diseases, and various calamities. This same 
phrase is used in another place, (Isa. xxxviii, 10), where 
Hezekiah says, " I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall 
go to the gates of the grave ; I am deprived of the residue 
of my years." The words used in the Septuagint, and 
which are an exact translation from the Hebrew, are ifuXaig 
ow5ou. Now, what Hezekiah meant by his going to the gates 
of the grave was, that he should not live, but die, as appears 
from his words immediately following, viz : — " I am depriv- 
ed of the residue of my years. I said, I shall not see the 
Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living. I shall be- 
hold man no more with the inhabitants of the world." And 
this phrase, as used in a moral sense, or figuratively, seems 
to denote moral diseases, such as errors, sins, &c. None 
of these, nor all the powers of darkness, shall ever destroy 
the church of Christ. In a word, the meaning of the passage i 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 19 

before us is, that this church shall never die, never be de- 
stroyed ; but shall always live, and shall finally triumph, in 
spite of all its enemies. 

Chap, xviii, 6. 
" Whosoever, therefore, shall offend one of these littlo 
ones, that believe in me, it were better for him that a mill- 
stone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned 
in the depth of the sea." 

The first and most common meaning of the word offend 
is, to irritate, to make angry. But the original word here 
used signifies, to cause one to fall into sin, by laying a stum- 
bling block before him. The expression of hanging a mill- 
stone about one's neck, and thus drowning him in the midst 
of the sea, alludes to a mode of punishment sometimes used 
among the ancients. But our Saviour did not mean, that 
of even a more tremendous punishment than this, a person 
should be worthy, merely because he should happen to dis- 
please one of his disciples. Christ himself sometimes dis- 
pleased, and in this sense offended his disciples, by telling 
them unwelcome truths. (See Mat. xvi, 21 — 23, and John 
vi, 65, 66.) The apostle Paul displeased the Christians of 
Galatia, and so much so as to become their enemy, by tell- 
ing them the truth, (ch. iv, 16.) If, indeed, Christians were 
perfectly as they ought to be ; if they were wholly renewed 
in the spirit of their mind, God's holy truth would never 
displease them ; and there would be no danger of our dis- 
pleasing them, by saying or doing any thing which is inclu- 
ded within the limits of christian duty. But Christians be- 
ing as they are, but partly sanctified, it is far otherwise ; 
and it may be our duty sometimes to say and do such things 
to them, as may displease and irritate them, though, un- 
doubtedly, such things should be said and done in as inof- 
fensive a manner as possible. Our Saviour's denunciation 
in the text before us, is manifestly levelled only against 
such as should, whether by persecution, or flattery, or in 
any other way, become designedly or willingly the instru- 
ments of the apostacy and final ruin of his followers. 



20 CRITICAL AND 

Verse 34. 

" And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tor- 
mentors, (i. e. prison-keepers), till he should pay all that 
was due." 

The prisons of the ancients, according to Harmer, were 
very different from ours. Their prison was a part of a pri- 
vate house, and commonly of the house where their criminal 
judges dwelt. Hence, then, we have the illustration of 
Jer. xxxvii, 15 — ''Wherefore the princes were wroth with 
Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house 
of Jonathan the scribe." Another fact relative to the pris- 
ons of the ancient orientals was, that the keepers of them 
had, to a lamentable degree, the power of treating the pris- 
oners according to their pleasure. The injunction on them 
was not so much to treat the prisoners humanely, as to keep 
them safely. (Acts xvi, 23.) They might indulge them with 
privileges, or put them in irons, or throw them into the dun- 
geon, and use them with a severity which Christianity would 
forbid ; and which, had its genuine spirit and power prevail- 
ed among them, it would have prevented. Hence, then, 
the force of this passage, " delivered him to the tormentors." 
Hence the force of Jeremiah's request that he might not be 
carried back to the dungeon, lest he should die. Hence 
the energy of those scriptures which speak of the " sighing 
of the prisoner;" and what a terrible emblem is there here 
of the future misery of the finally impenitent ! What reason 
for gratitude have we, that prisoners in our days are treated 
so much more humanely than they were in ancient times, 
and among the heathen ! In this respect, as in innumerable, 
others, we may say — " See what hath Christianity done." 

Chap, xix, 24. 

" And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go 
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter 
into the kingdom of God." 

Some, in attempting to explain this text, have supposed 
that the original word here used, might as well have been 
translated a cable, or a cable-rope. But though the image- 
ry might appear the most natural, or less unnatural, with 
that translation, there still remains an insurmountable ob- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 21 

/ 

jeetion to it, which is, that the word xafxsXoj, signifies pro- 
perly a camel, and not a cable-rope. See Schleusner on the 
word. Besides, what relief can the mind obtain, by substi- 
tuting cable-rope for camel 1 It is as really impossible that 
a cable-rope should pass through a needless eye, as it is that 
a camel should. I would here insert the interpretation given 
of this scripture by Harmer, which, whether satisfactory or 
not, must be allowed to be ingenious. It is to this purpose : 
" The Arabs have long been accustomed to ride into houses 
for plunder, &c. Hence, and to prevent this, the people 
made the doors of their houses low, about three feet in 
height. Their camels, also, the predatory Arabs had caus- 
en to enter houses, by making them first kneel down upon 
their knees." IV ow, to this custom, Harmer thinks Christ 
refers in this passage. As if he had said, it is easier for a 
camel to enter a house through a very narrow passage, one, 
as it were, like the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to 
be saved. On this construction the comparison is not quite 
so unnatural, as to the unlearned reader it now appears^ 
Perhaps, however, it is sufficient, if, with Schleusner and 
Rosenmuller, and other good expositors, we understand 
this declaration of Christ as only a proverb — a prover- 
bial expression, sometimes used by the Jews, when they 
would express either an absolute impossibihty, or a very 
^reat difficulty. Before leaving this passage, however, I 
would just mention ivhat sort of rich men our Saviour here 
meant. His own words, as cited by Mark, ch. x, 24, will 
clearly show. "Jesus answereth again, and saith unto 
them — Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches 
to enter into the kingdom of God." It hence appears, that 
there is not, in the nature of the case, any absolute impossi- 
bility of a rich man's being saved, as Mat. xix, 24, separate-* 
ly. considered, would seem to teach. And we know from 
facts, that this is not in the nature of things impossible ; for 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and David and Job, who were 
rich in this world's goods, were rich in faith, also ; and they 
are now heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to 
them that love him. And surely no rich man will be 
damned of course, and because he is rich, any more than a 
poor man will be saved of course, and because he is pqor^ 



22 CRITICAL AND 

It cannot be denied, that there is a peculiar and a very great 
difficulty in the way of a rich man's being saved ; and this 
seems to be the whole of what our Lord intended in the pas- 
sage to which we are now attending. If he enters into the 
kingdom of God, it will be " so as by fire." But the diffi- 
culty arises, not so much from riches themselves, as from 
the nature of the human heart, which is so much attached to 
earthly treasures, and so much inclined to "trust in uncer- 
tain riches," to make them an idol — a god. And by com- 
paring these two passages together, we see it is only those 
rich men that so do, that shall be finally excluded from the 
kingdom of God. How important, by the way, is it to com- 
pare scripture ^\'ith scripture — one passage or paragraph with 
another that relates to the same point, in order that we may 
rightly understand the word of God ! 

Terse 28. || 

" Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, 
in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit upon the 
throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, 
judging the twelve tribes of Israel." 

The meaning of this text will be essentially affected by 
the punctuation we may adopt. If we adopt that used in 
Griesbach's edition of the Greek-Testament, which is ap- 
proved by Scott, and which probably is the most correct one, 
it would appear that the 'rraXr/yevsgla,. the regeneration here 
mentioned, is to be understood as referring not to Christ's 
disciples, and so denoting that moral change — that change 
of heart which they had experienced, but to the day when the 
Son of Man should sit upon the throne of his glory ; in other 
words, that regeneration, in this place, denotes that gi'eat 
change in the moral world which will be effectuated at the 
day of judgment, when there shall be made a new heaven 
and anew earth ; that, in short, the meaning is, as if Christ 
had said, " Ye who have followed me in this world, shall, on 
the great day — that day of the restitution of all things, (Acts 
iii, 21), and of moral regeneration, sit upon twelve ihrones,'* 
&c. But to conclude hence, as it appears some have done, 
that personal regeneration (meaning thereby the renovation 
of the heart by the Holy Spirit) does not take place in this 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 23 

world, nor until death, or the day of judgment, is extremely 
absurd. 

Chap, xx, 23. 

" But to sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine 
to give ; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepar- 
ed of my Father." 

The sentence " it shall be given to them," is inserted by 
our translators, and there is nothing answering to it in the 
original. This interpolation, designed, no doubt, to illus- 
trate, appears greatly to obscure, or rather to misrepresent 
our Saviour's meaning. As the passage now stands, the 
word mine seems to be emphatical ; and common readers 
would from the whole infer, that the privilege of sitting at 
Christ's right hand in his kingdom, he had no power to give 
to any ; that, however, it should be given (say by his Fa- 
ther) to them for whom it was prepared. But leave out the 
interpolation, and the true meaning of the passage is per- 
fectly plain ; thus, " To sit on my right hand and on my left, 
is not mine to give, but (or except to them) for whom it is 
prepared of my Father." The restriction impHed in the 
words relates not at all to the power of Christ, but simply to 
the number of those to whom it was consistent or proper 
that the privilege or prerogative in question should be given. 
This passage, therefore, when rightly understood, does not 
at all contradict, but rather supports the doctrine of our 
Saviour's divinity. 

Chap, xxii, 28—33. 

" Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be 
of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and 
said unto them. Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor 
the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither 
marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of 
God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the 
dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by 
God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of 
Isaac, and the God of Jacob 1 God is not the God. of the 
dead, but of the living." 

If regard be had merely to the etymology of the word 
avajra^i^, it must be allowed that it is rightly rendered in 
English, resurrection. In the verses now before us, it 



M Critical anis 

seems, however, to denote that state of being which Is to 
succeed the resurrection of the body, and which is commonly 
called the separate state. For, observe the argument. Our 
Saviour introduced the declaration of Jehovah to Moses, 
(Exodus iii, 3, 6), as a proof and as an instance of the 
dva^ragig. But surely, from the state of those patriarchs, 
as it was in Moses' time, it could never be proved that the 
dead bodies of men will rise again. For those patriarchs 
had not risen again ; and of course their case was neither an 
instance nor a proof of the literal resurrection. But it was 
both a proof and an instance of a state of conscious exist- 
ence after death. In a word, from this declaration of Jeho- 
vah to Moses, " I am the God of Abraham, and the God of 
Isaac, and the God of Jecob," a declaration made four hun- 
dred years after their death, the logical inference is simply 
and solely this, viz : that those patriarchs, that is, their souls, 
were then alive ; for God is not the God of the dead, but of 
the living. The conclusion then is, that the verses before us 
are a direct and decisive proof of a separate and a future 
state, but not of a corporeal resurrection, otherwise than 
by implication and inference. 

Chap, xxiii, 5. 

*' They make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the 
borders of their garments." 

The Greek word translated phylacteries, is derived from 
pv'kcciS'ui, to keep, to preserve ; and as here used it denotes 
those scrips of parchment which the Jews wore on their 
foreheads, or on some conspicuous part of their garments, 
and on which were written and preserved some select and 
favorite sentences of their law. This practice was in con- 
formity to the precept in Deut. vi, 7 — 9, which they under- 
stood in the literal sense. 

Verse 27. 

*' Ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed ap- 
pear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's 
bones, and of all uncleanness." 

The following remarks from Robinson's Greek Lexicon, 
may serve to illustrate this passage, viz : — " The sepulchres 
of die Hebrews, at least of the wealthier part of them, were 
usually spacious caverns ; either natural, of which many 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 25 

were found in Palestine, or hewn by art out of rocks, or in 
the sides of mountains. (See Gen. xxiii, 9 : Matt, xxvii, 
60.) The roofs of these sepulchres were supported by col- 
umns, and they often contained different apartments, around 
the sides of which were cells for the reception of the bodies. 
The mouths of the caverns were closed by doors, or large 
stones, to prevent the dogs and jackalls from entering ; and 
in order to give notice to those who might pass by, and thus 
prevent them from becoming defiled, by inadvertently touch- 
ing a sepulchre, the external parts were annually white- 
washed in the month Adar." 

Chap, xxiv, 15. 

"When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of deso- 
lation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy 
place," &c. 

By this expression is intended generally the Roman army, 
which emphatically made desolate by its conquests and ra- 
vages. It was called the abomination of desolation, on ac- 
count of those images of their idols which were engraven on 
their standards, and which were .extremely abominable to 
tho Jews — abominable, both because they were the images 
of deities, which images the Jews were by the second com- 
mandment expressly prohibited from either worshipping or 
making ; and because they were the images of such detest- 
able deities or idols as the Romans worshipped. 

Verse 17. 
" Let him which is on the house top, not come down, to 
take any thing out of his house." 

To understand this passage, it must be remembered that 
the houses of the Jews had flat or horizontal roofs. Hence 
we read of David's " walking upon the roof of his house." 
(2 Sam. xi. 2.) The meaning of our Saviour evidently was, 
that those Jews who should happen to be on the roofs of their 
houses, (whether for recreation or devotion), when the Ro- 
man armies appeared before Jerusalem, should entirely dis- 
regard every thing in the house, however valuable, and if they 
meant to save their lives, go immediately down at the outer 
" stairs, and thus flee out of the city. 

3 



26 critical and 

Chap, xxiv, 28. 

"For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be 
gathered together." 

This remark is undoubtedly true in the literal sense. To 
a dead, mouldering, putrefying body, not only eagles, but 
other winged animals, spontaneously resort, (Gen. xv, 11.) 
It is, however, sufficiently evident that our Lord intended 
that the remark should be understood in some other than the 
literal sense. For from the parallel place in Luke xvii, 37, 
it appears it was in answer to the disciples' inquiry, "Where 
Lord?" i. e. where shall these predicted calamities be expe- 
rienced? To this inquiry, Christ gave no other reply than 
this — " Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be 
gathered together." By the carcase, therefore, must be 
meant the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who as a people were 
morally and judicially dead ; and by the eagles, the Roman 
armies, which might properly be called by this name, both 
on account of the rapidity of their marches, and because they 
had the sign of the eagle on their standards. 

Verse 41. 

" Two women shall be grinding at the mill ; the oiie shall 
be taken, and the other left." 

To a mere English reader, and to any one not acquainted 
with ancient manners and customs, this prediction of Christ 
appears strange and almost unintelligible. For the satis- 
faction of such readers it should be observed, that the ancient 
mills, and the ancient method of grinding corn, were very 
different from ours. Their mills were hand-mills, and were 
managed by women. (See Ex. xi, 5.) The orientals have 
preserved mills of the same sort, and the same method of 
grinding, down to the present time. Dr. Clarke, in his late 
travels through Palestine, observed the same practice at 
Nazareth. Two women sat on the ground opposite to each 
other, with two round flatted stones. On the top of the 
upper one was an opening, or hollow place, where the corn 
was put in, as it now is into the hoppers of our grist-mills. 
These stones or stone-mills were turned, it seems, with a ! 
sort of crank, and were sometimes pushed from one to the | 
other. In this manner they ground daily. This business is 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 27 

usually done in the morning, so that if any one then walks 
out, he will hear the noise of many of these mills at the same 
time. At a time when grist-mills were not in use as they 
are now, and when the usual method of grinding corn was 
by these kand-mills, one of them must of course have been 
considered as essential to every family ; and to have been 
deprived of them must have been a great calamity. There is 
more meaning, therefore, than most readers imagine, in that 
threat which the Lord gave, in Jer. xxv, 10 — " Moreover, I 
will take irom them the voice of mirth, and the voice of glad- 
ness ; the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the 
bride ; the sound of the millstones, and the light of the 
candle." 

Chap, xxv, 36. 

'' Sick, and ye visited me." 

The original v/ord here used signifies a looking after, over- 
seeing, taking care of, &c. In Acts vi, 3, the same word is 
rendered '' look out." It is only for such a visiting of the 
sick, thai the final benediction of the Saviour, " Come, ye 
blessed of my Father," &c. will be pronounced. "Let 
him that readeth understand." 

Chap, xxviti, 19. 

" Go ye, therefore, and teach (or disciple) all nations, 
baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost." 

When the preposition sk governs an accusative, (as it 
does here), it is very frequently rendered into. Thus it may 
be rendered, and thus mdny eminent divines do render it, in 
this place — " into the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost." There is some difference in the 
meaning of these expressions. To baptise in the name of 
the adorable THREE, means to baptise by their authority. 
To baptise into their name, means to initiate one, so far as 
any external rite can do it, into that religion which they, in 
fulfilment of their eternal, federal, and mutual engagements, 
have established and continued on earth. It denotes, also, 
an introduction of one into the visible church. 



28 CRITCAL AND 

MARK. 

Chapter ii, Yerse 18. 

" And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to 
fast ; and they come and say unto him, why do the disciples 
of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not 1" 

My only object in introducing this scripture, is to show 
what is included, or at least one thing that is included, in 
fasting. That one thing now referred to, is abstinence from 
food. Indeed, this is believed generally, though not univer- 
sally. Some there are who believe that abstinence from 
food is not necessary to fasting. Now, such persons seem 
to confound the act itself with the object or end of the act ; 
and this is, probably, the cause of their error respecting this 
matter. The end of fasting is, doubtless, the mortification 
of sin, (see Isa. Iviii, 6) ; and the only, or certainly the chief 
reason, why it is valuable or desirable at all, is derived from 
its tendency to accomplish that end. But the act itself of 
fasting is a different thing. And that this includes absti- 
nence from food appears — 1st, from the original Greek 
word, vri^suu, here used ; which, according to Schleusner and 
Parkhurst, properly denotes such abstinence ; and, 2dly, 
from the parallel scripture in Luke v, 33, where we read — ■ 
'^ And they said unto him, Avhy do the disciples of John fast 
often, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees ; but thine 
eat and drink?" Here fasting is directly opposed to eating 
and drinking, and eating and drinking to fasting. From 
these two passages taken in connection, it is perfectly plain, 
that the eating and drinking mentioned in the one is the same 
with the fasting not mentioned in the other. — How often 
persons should fast, and how long this exercise should be 
continued, must be determined by circumstances ; only let 
it be remembered, no one fasts, strictly speaking, any longer 
or any further than he abstains from food and all animal nour- 
ishment. In conclusion, I would remark, it is veiy lament- 
able that this exercise should be so generally neglected as it 
appears to be in our days. For that it is sometimes a duty, 
the holy scriptures clearly teach, (see Mat. iv, 16 — 19, and 
1 Cor. vii, 5) ; and that for spiritual purposes it is a blessed 
privilege, the experience of those who have made the trial 
proves. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 29 

Chap, in, 14. 

** Atid he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, 
and that he might send them forth to preach." 

There are three Greek words which are translated preach, 
viz : xri^Cge(jj, xarayysXku, suayysXi'^w. Those who can read 
the Nev/ Testament in its original language, may perceive, 
both from the etymology of the words themselves, and from 
an examination of those passages wherein they occur, that 
all these words are not perfectly synonymous. The first 
and second, it is true, are nearly so ; bat between the first 
and the last there is a wide difference. And it appears 
in that— 

1. Koipujjw (to publish, to proclaim as an herald or public 
crier) may have for its object any thing good or bad, desira- 
ble or undesirable, as war or peace, prosperity or adversity, 
joy or sorrow ; but the object of suav^sXj^^w is always some- 
thing g'pod and agreeable. 

2. The former, as is evident from the very import of the 
word, supposes a large, or at least a considerable number 
present. But not so necessarily with the latter. The glad 
tidings may be declared toonlyo??e. (See Luke i, 19), "I — 
Gabriel — am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these 
glad tidings." 

Chap, vi, 12. 
^' And they went out, and preached that men should re- 
pent." 

There are two words in the original translated repent — 
fA^ravoiw and f/^srajmsXo.aat. But these are not wholly sy- 
nonymous. The former, which is the word used when the 
scriptures require repentance as a duty, or represent it as 
necessary, signifies exactly a change of the mind, and such 
a change as includes commonly a godly sorrow for sin, and 
external reformation. (See among other instances of this 
use of the word. Acts ii, 38 — iii, 19— xvii, 30 : Luke xiii, 
3, 5.) But the latter may denote mere repentance, mere 
sorrow. Accordingly, we find, that when such a sorrow is 
mentioned, as is eUiphatically the sorrow of the world, that 
worketh death — such a sorrow as has for its object the evil 
consequences of sin, rather than the odious nature of sin it- 
self, the word used is commonly jasra/xsXojxa*. At any rate, 

3* 



so CRITICAL AND 

there is some difference in the meaning of these two words ; 
and the above remarks may be highly useful to the reader, 
particularly in enabling him to understand what the scriptures 
mean, when, as is sometimes the case, they ascribe repent- 
nace to really impenitent sinners, as to Judas. (Mat. xxvii, 
3.) Let the reader who is desirous of further satisfaction on 
the two texts last commented upon, consult Dr. Campbell's 
Preliminary Dissertations. 

Chap, ix, 49. 

" For every one shall be salted with fire ; and every sa- 
crifice shall be salted with salt." 

What could our Saviour have intended by the first part of 
this verse — " every one shall be salted with firel" It is evi- 
dent there is here a reference to the precepts of the Mo- 
saic law, relative to those oblations which were required un- 
der the former dispensation. (See particularly Lev. ii, 13 :) 
" And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season 
with salt ; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant 
of thy God to be lacking from thy meat-offering ; with all 
thine offerings thou shalt offer salt." But the question is, 
whether the text now before us is to be understood as a pro- 
mise or as a threat ; or whether, if considered as a prediction, 
it is to be understood as a prediction of the happy state of 
the righteous, or of the miserable state of the wicked; 
whether, with Mack night, Parkhurst, and some others, we 
are to understand rfvpi, fire, as in the dative case, and accord- 
ingly to interpret the passage thus : — " Every (redeemed) 
one shall be salted for the fire of God's altar, and so shall 
be offered as an holy and acceptable sacrifice," (Kom. xii, 
1); or whether, with Henry, Doddridge, Scott, Schleus- 
ner, and most of the best commnetators, we are to under- 
stand the passage as a denunciation against the wicked, and 
accordingly to mean thus, or on this wise, viz : — "As every 
Jewish oblation was to be salted, sprinkled with salt, in or- 
der that among other purposes, it might be the more readily 
and completely consumed by fire ; so, and in allusion lo 
that custom, every damned soul shall be salted, and thus be 
prepared to undergo the fire of God's wrath." The last 
seems, on the whole, the best interpretation, and is most 



EXPLANTORY NOTES. 31 

generally approved. Let it be remembered, however, that 
the analogy here implied between the Jewish sacrifices or 
oblations, which, or some of which, were to be utterly con- 
sumed by fire, and the case of the finally impenitent, does 
not prove that the latter are to be literally consumed or an- 
nihilatedy any more than the scripture application to them of 
the terms perish, be destroyed, &;c. does. All the destruc- 
tion intended by such terms or phrases, as applied to the 
wicked in a future state, is a destruction of enjoyment, of 
hope, and of all prospect of good — not of rational exist- 
ence. 

Chap, xi, 13, 14. 
" And seeing a fig-tree afar off, having leaves, he came, 
if haply he might find any thing thereon ; and when he came 
to it, he found nothing but leaves ; for the time of figs was 
not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, no man eat 
fruit of thee hereafter forever ;" with Mat. xxi, 19 ; " and 
presently the fig-tree withered away." 

The attentive reader naturally inquires, why should Jesus 
curse the fig-tree for its ban*enness, when, as appears from 
the passage itself, the time of figs, or of its bearing figs, had 
not yet come 1 For, " shall not the Judge of all the earth do 
rightl" And could it have been right or reasonable for Him 
to expect and demand fruit from the fig-tree, when, from the 
very nature of the case, fruit was impossible ; and finally, to 
condemn the tree ' to perpetual sterility, merely because it 
did not do that which it was impossible for it then to do? 
With this passage expositors have been much perplexed. 
Some of them have supposed, that the fig-tree in question 
was of a peculiar kind, of that kind which bore at the same 
time figs of two years' growth — figs of the present year and 
of the past. And hence they conclude, that even if it were 
too early for figs of the present year to have been there, still, 
as it was usual for such fig-trees to have some fruit upon 
them all the year round, some figs at least of the preceding 
year might have been reasonably expected. Others have 
supposed, that for the correct explanation of this passage, 
the word gathering ought to be understood — thus : — " When 
he came to it he found nothing but leaves ; for the time of 
gathering figs was not yet." When the Jews said, " There 



32 CRITICAL AND 

are yet four months, and then cometh harvest,'* (John iv, 
35), they meant by the harvest, the ingathering of the 
harvest. In like manner, ii is said, may the passage before 
us be understood. And as the time of gathering figs, and 
carrying them off, had not yet come, so, and for this rea- 
son, Jesus might properly have expected to find them still on 
the tree. But there is another interpretation of this passage, 
far more simple, and, I think, far more satisfactory, than ei- 
ther of the preceding. It should be remembered that the 
word yet is inserted by our translators. There is nothing 
corresponding to it in the original, which may just as well 
be translated thus : — " It was not a time of figs ;" that is, 
there were no figs there ; the tree was barren ; it did not 
bear figs that season. According to this interpretation or 
translation, the two last clauses in verse 13 are indeed syno- 
nymous ; but this is only in conformity to the well knovm 
idiom of the sacred languages. The above solution being 
adopted, (and it is surely an allowable pne), we are entire- 
ly relieved from embarrassment in accounting for Jesus' 
cursing the fig-tree. For it would hence appear, that the 
simple reason why Jesus cursed the fig-tree was Ms barren- 
ness. The tree, it is true, had leaves in plenty, but that was 
all. It was not with it a time or season of bearing figs. 
Though it had leaves, and therefore must have been alive, 
and capable of bearing fruit, yet it was utterly barren that 
year. Hence our Lord cursed it, and it withered away. 
" Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples ; 
and they are written lor our admonition, upon whom the ends, 
of the world are come." The barren fig-tree was an apt 
emblem of the Jewish nation, which, like that tree, had 
leaves in plenty. It had made a good profession. To the 
eye of sense, and at a distance, it looked green and fair, and 
seemed to promise much " goodly fruit." But on a nearer 
approach, and a more accurate view, all these appearances 
were found to be deceptive ; so that the Lord Jesus might 
properly say, in application to them, " Behold these three 
years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none." 
In the curse which Christ pronounced on the fig-tree, and in 
the ruin which followed, we behold an emblem of the Lord's 
dealings with that incorrigible people. But all this was for 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 33 

oitr admonition also. "Let ours, then, learn to maintain 
good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful," 
lest we also should meet with a similar doom. "If God 
spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare 
not thee." 

Chap, xiii, 11. 

" But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take 
no thought before hand what ye shall speak ; neither do ye 
premeditate ; but whatsoever shall be given you in that 
hour, that speak ye ; for it is not ye that speak, but the Ho- 
ly Ghost." 

How have enthusiasts wrested this scripture, and, it is to 
be feared, to the destruction of many ! It has been frequent- 
ly used to disprove the necessity of study in christian min- 
isters ; to prove that they ought not to premeditate on their 
subjects ; that they should not give themselves the trouble 
of determining or even thinking before hand what or how 
they shall preach ; but must expect and depend upon a cer- 
tain inspiration, or immediate divine assistance, to be im- 
parted at the moment they enter the pulpit or place of 
preaching, and to be continued so long as they are there ! ! 
The true, the whole meaning of this passage, may be easily 
understood, by comparing it with the parallel one in Mat. x, 
17 — 20 — " But beware of men ; for they will deliver you up 
to the councils, and they will scourge you in their syna- 
gogues : And ye shall be brought before governors and 
kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the 
Geatiles. But when they dehver you up, take no thought 
how or what ye shall speak ; for it shall be given you in that 
same hour what ye shall speak." A mementos attention to 
this passage in Mark, as illustrated by the one in Matthew, 
must convince any candid, unprejudiced mind, that the for- 
mer relates solely to that defence of the gospel and of them.' 
selves, which the apostles were to make before the Jewish 
sanhedrim and Gentile tribunals. Our Lord here directed 
his apostles, that when arraigned, or about to be arraigned, 
before those bodies, on trial for their lives, they should not be 
anxious in respect to self-vindication, assuring them, that 
ability sufficient for this purpose would be immediately im- 
parted to them from on high. This scripture, therefore, is 



34 CRITICAL AND 

of no force at all, to support the groundless, false, and high- 
ly dangerous sentiment, that ministers in these days, may, 
in ordinary cases, preach without study and previous prepa- 
ration ; a sentiment embraced of course by none but the ig- 
> norant. 

Chap, xv, 23. 

" And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myiTh ; 
but he received it not j" i. e. wine rendered bitter by myrrh 
and other substances. 

It was the custom in those days, to give this potion or 
cordial to condemned prisoners, to stupify them, and thus 
to render them less susceptible to pain. This was done, pro- 
bably out of mere compassion to the sufferers. But as Jesus 
had undertaken, and was resolved to suffer io the full extent 
which was necessary, in order that he might be a propitiato- 
ry sacrifice for sin, so that God might consistently be just, 
and the justifier of him that believeth ; and as his sufferings 
could not have availed for this purpose, if there had been any 
mitigation oi" them from the proffered cordial — for this rea- 
son he rejected it.' 



LUKE. 

Chap, it, Verse 1. 

'* And it came to pass in those days, that there went out 
a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be 
taxed." 

" All the world" — But certainly this phrase can denote at 
most only the Roman empire ; for beyond that the jurisdic- 
tion of Augustus CiEsar could not extend. In this text, 
therefore, (and in many others also), the word all is clearly 
used in a limited sense. Let the Universalist remember 
this — " should be taxed," or registered, enrolled. By the 
laws of the Roman empire, all its subjects were required to 
profess their citizenship, aqd to give in their names, which 
were to be registered and preserved in the archives of the 
empire. This, it seems, was to be done for two purposes ; 
that thereby an accurate census might be taken of the num- 
ber of inhabitants, and that the business of taxation might 



i 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 35 

be adjusted. And in order to this, it was necessary that 
each one should go to the place of his nativity, or that of his 
stated residence. Accordingly, it is said, verse 3, " And 
they all went to be taxed, (or enrolled, as the word properly 
signifies), every one into his oivn city.^' 

Yerses 8 — 12. 

" And there were in the same country shepherds abiding 
in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And 
lo ! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory 
of the Lord shone round about them ; and they were sore 
afraid. And the angel said unto them — Fear not, for behold 
I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all 
people : For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, 
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." 

This day, here mentioned, is supposed to have been the 
25th day of the month which we call December. The same 
day, accordingly, has been and still is usually denominated 
Christmas day, in commemoration of the birth of Christ. It 
should be remembered, however, (as Mosheim observes), 
that the ancient eastern nations celebrated the sixth of Jan- 
uary as the day of the incarnation. That day they called 
Epiphany, from the Greek word 'E'lricpavsia, signifying mani- 
festation, because on that day, as they supposed, the im- 
mortal Saviour was manifested to the world. The interim 
between these two dates is short — only twelve days ; so that 
still, by the concurrent voice of both ancient and modern 
Christians, Jesus Christ was born about the last of Decem- 
ber or first of January. But how, the unlearned reader of 
our climate may inquire, could this be ? Could shepherds 
be then abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks, 
and by night too 1 The difficulty relative to this subject 
will vanish, when he recollects or understands the latitude 
of Judea. This is about thirty-one degrees. No valid ob- 
jection, therefore, to the commonly received opinion relative 
to the time of our Lord's incarnation, can arise from the fact 
of the above mentioned contemporary employment of the 
shepherds. For in that latitude and warm climate, shep- 
herds might have been very comfortable on the 25 th of De- 
oember, or the 6th of January, while out in the open Helds at- 



36 CRITICAL AND 

tending to their flocks. This seems to be the proper place 
for raising a decided testimony against the manner in which 
Christmas day is very frequently spent. He that regardeth 
the day at all in distinction from other days, should surely 
regard it unto the Lord. Some undoubtedly do thus regard 
it ; but how many there are who spend the day in vain amuse- 
ment, or at best in mere conviviality, and without scarcely 
a thought of that glorious event which was announced by 
the angels to the shepherds ! ! 

Chap, iv, 20. 

" And when he had closed the book, he gave it to the mi- 
nister and sat down." 

The word translated minister, in this verse, denotes not 
what in these days is commonly intended by the term, i. e. 
a christian pastor, but a menial servant, whose business it 
was to take charge of the sacred books. The same word 
occurs, and is similarly translated, in Acts xiii, 5. 

Chap, v, 37, 38. 

" And no man putteth new wine into old bottles ; else the 
new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bot- 
tles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles, 
and both are preserved." 

For the information of common readers, and for the ex- 
planation of these passages, it should be remembered that 
the bottles of the ancients were very different from ours. 
They were made of leather, or rather of the skins of animals. 
And if these leather or skin bottles were new and strong,' 
they might preserve in safety the new wine put into them ; 
but if they happened to be old and decaying, the new wine, 
still in a state of fermentation, would burst the bottles ; and 
thus, both would the former be wasted, and the latter utterly 
destroyed. No man, therefore, of any sense, would put 
new wine into old bottles. Thus much for the literal mean- 
ing of these verses. From the connection, it is evident that 
the spiritual meaning of our Saviour was, that it would be 
wholly improper and injurious to impose on his disciples, as 
yet weak and but little experienced in the divine life, such 
severe mortifications and rigorous observances as John's 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 37 

tdisciples practised, in conformity to the directions and the 
example of their master. 

Chap, vi, 1. 
^ " And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the 
first, that he went through the corn-fields." 

The only difficulty attending this passage is found in the 
expression, "the second Sabbath after the first." What 
Sabbath was that 1 The following interpretation, contained 
in Robinson's translation of Wahl's Lexicon, seems the 
most satisfactory of any which to my knowledge has ever 
been given, viz : — " It was the first Sabbath after the second 
day of the passover. Of the seven days of the passover, 
the first was a Sabbath, and on the second was a festival, in 
which the fruits of the harvest were offered to God. (Lev. 
xxiii, 5.) From this second day the Jews reckoned seven 
weeks or Sabbaths to the feast of Pentecost. (I^ev. xxiii.) 
Hence the first week, or the first Sabbath which occurred 
after this second day, was called 'E^dofxa^, or I,6Ma<T-ov Ssv- 
'TSpo'jr'p'ZJ^-rov ; i. e. the second Sabbath after the first." The 
same interpretation is given also in Poosenmuiler's Scholia. 

Yerse 12. 

" And it came to pass in those days, that he v/ent out into 
a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to 
God." 

That our Saviour's animal frame should have been so in- 
vigorated, and his devotional frame of mind so continued, 
as that he might in fact have prayed all night, either mentally' 
or vocally, is not at all incredible, especially if we have re- 
course to that divine, miraculous agency, which on another 
occasion enabled him to fast forty days and forty nights in 
succession. It should be observed, however, that the Greek 
word 'Tfpo^suyjjy here translated prayer, signifies sometimes.- 
both in the holy scriptures and in other writings, an oratory, 
a prayer-house, or place of prayer. Of these the Jews had 
many, and the pious among them frequently resorted thereto 
for devotional exercises. They were open at the top, were 
surrounded by trees, and frequently situated near to some 
sea or river. (Acts xvi, 13). And such is, probably, tlie 

4 



38 CRITICAL AND 

import of the word in this place. The sense of the passage 
then may be this : Jesus went out into a mountain to pray, 
and continued all night in a place of prayer ; where, un- 
doubtedly, he was employed the greatest part of the time io 
devotional exercises. 

Chap, vii, 28. 

" For I say unto you, among those that are born of wo- 
men, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; 
but he that is least in the kingdom of God, is greater than 
he." 

If this passage mi^iht be allowed to speak for itself, human 
explanation would be unnecessary, because it would then 
explain itself. It is true, that in the parallel place, Mat. xi, 
11, the word prophet is not found ; but even there it is evi- 
dently understood. Greatness is of two kinds ; greatness 
in the sight of God, and greatness in the sight of men. The 
former of those is unquestionably here meant. But this also 
is two-fold, personal and official. Both of these may have 
been referred to by our Saviour, in this his declaration ; but 
the last is principally intended. (See Luke i, 15 — 18.) By 
the kino^dom of God here mentioned, or, as it is in Mat. xi, 
11, ** kingdom of heaven," is meant this kingdom under its 
new or (as it is commonly called) christian dispensation. 
In short, the meaning of the declaration before is obviously 
this, viz : that as prophets or teachers, none antecedent to 
John had been superior to him, as none had been favored 
with greater light and knowledge, and none had been sent 
on a more honorable and important embassy, (or indeed on 
one .so honorable and important, for he was the immediate 
forerunner of our Lord, and sent directly to prepare his 
way) ; but yet, that the least true prophet or teacher, under 
the much more luminous dispensation of Christ, would, in 
the before mentioned respects, be superior to even John the 
Baptist. And hence, by the way, it is very evident that John 
the Baptist did not come under the christian dispensation, 
as some pretend. 

Verses 36—39. 

" And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat 
with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat 
down to meat. And behold a woman in the city, which was 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 39 

% sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pha- 
risee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment ; and 
stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his 
feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, 
and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment." 
It is here said, Jesus " sat down to meat." It should, 
however, be romembered, that the word used in the original 
is dvsxXi'^r], which signifies exactly, he lay down or reclined 
himself. The most usual word for sitting down is ya^YHj^aij 
or xRi^i'^w, when used intransitively ; and as to lie dov/n, to 
recline one's self is the strict and proper meaning of the 
word dvoxXivw, from which dvixklSy] is derived ; so such must 
be its only proper import in this passage. For if Jesus sat 
down in the sense in which v/e nov/ understand the word ; 
if, while eating at table in the Pharisee's house, he was re- 
ally and properly in a sitting posture, the actions here attri- 
buted to this woman would have been evidently impossible. 
If Jesus sat down to meat as we now do, his feet being of 
course on the floor under the table, how could this woman 
get at them, to v/ashthem? And besides, how could she 
wash them standing, as it is said she did? She '' stood at 
his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet 
with tears." Verse 3S. Frequently has the author's mind, 
especially in his youthful days, been much perplexed with 
this scripture, as it stands in our common version. Nor 
can any considerate reader avoid perceiving and feeling the 
difficulty attending it, until he becomes acquainted with the 
customs of the ancient Jev/s at their meals. These, accord- 
ing to Campbell and other authentic writers, v/ere the fol- 
lowing. Three couches were set in the form of the Greek 
letter TT. The guests lay down obliquely, reclining on iheir 
left arm, at the same time feeding themselves v.ith their right 
hand, their feet being of course backwards. Their couches 
were somewhat higher than their tables. Hence we easily 
see how the woman might have stood behind Christ, i. e. on 
the back side of the couch, and have there washed and wiped 
his feet. The knowledge of this custom renders the whole 
history of this affair easy to be understood, and completely 
removes all the difficulties which must evermore be felt by 
such of us as know nothing of any other customs than our 



40 CRITICAL AND 

own. The above remarks, by the way, may serve to ex- 
plain what is meant by John's leaning on Jesus' bosom or 
breast, at table. (John xiii, 23, 25.) 

Chap, viii, 22. 

" Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into 
a ship with his disciples." 

The word ship, as used by us, denotes the largest kind 
and highest rank of sailing vessels. But il would be a great 
error to suppose that the irXoTa of the New Testament were 
of this description. In general, they were only barks, or 
barges, or sailing boats. There are two Greek words 
translated ship — vauj and /TrXorov. According to Schleusner, 
the former denotes a large vessel ; the latter a small one, a 
fisherman's boat. 

Chap, xii, 35. 

" Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning." 

The ancient orientals were in the habit of weaiino- lono", 
loose, and flowing garments. Whenever, therefore, they 
had to do any business which required strength and much 
activity, it would be necessary for them to tie and tuck up 
those garments ; otherwise they must have proved to them, 
a very serious impediment. Accordingly, we find that iq 
such a case they did so. (See 1 Kings xviii, 46 : 2 Kings iv, ' 
29 : Job xxxviii, 3 : Jer. i, 17.) The ])hrase " lights burn- 
ing," relates to the preparation which servants were to make, 
for their masters, on their return from nocturnal feasts, espe-\ 
cially marriage feasts. (See v. 36, and Mat. xxv, 1 — 10). This 
direction of our Lord, considered as thus allusive, is there- 
fore replete v»ith meaning and energy, and reminds us, that 
like the children of Israel, (Exod. xii, 11), we should be ia 
continual readiness for marching ; and that we should be- 
very careful to cast away from us all those transgressions, 
and not to entangle ourselves with any of those worldly 
cares, which v/ouki prevent or impede the prompt discharge 
of our duty .; and that with our lights or lamps thus burning, 
we should be always ready for the arrival of our Lord. 
" For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, 
and will not tarryj' 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 41 

Chap, xiii, 24. ^ 

^' Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many, I say 
Mnto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." 

The Greek word translated strive, signifies to agonise, to 
be in an agony, (lAike xxii, 44) ; and of course very im- 
pressively represents the earnestness, {he vehemence, the 
violence, (Mat. xi, 12), with which we should seek the king- 
dom of God and his righteousness. But how are we to un- 
derstand the last part of the verse, ** For many, I say unto 
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able ;" or shall 
not prevail ? Do we not read, " Seek, and ye shall find ; he 
that seoketh, findethl" Our Lord might have meant by this 
expression, that many would seek to enter in by wrong ways, 
or certamly not by the right way, and in the right way ; for 
observe, he does not say that they will agonise for this pur- 
pose ; that they would strive to enter in at the strait gate, with 
a self denial, an earnestness, and a perseverance, equal to that 
practised by worldly men, in quest of a corruptible crown. 
(See 1 Cor. ix, 25, where the same Greek word is used.) 
But what Christ principally intended was, that many would, 
in their way, seek to enter in when it should be !oo lafs, and 
hence should not be able. That such was most directly his 
meaning, is evident from his words immediately following : 
** When once the master of the house is risen up, ;md has 
shut to the dooTj and ye begin to stand without, and knock 
at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us ; and he shall 
answer and say unto you, 1 know you not, whence ye are." 
Let none, therefore, forget that noio is the accepted time^ 
that now is the day of salvation. Seek ye the Lord while he 
may be fontuJ. Seek him before the door is shut, when it 
will be too late to find him. 

Chap, xiv, 23. 
*' Go ye o it into the highways and hedges, and compel 
them to comf in." 

The wortl compel, as defined by Walker, signifies " to force 
to some act, to oblige, to constrain ;" and as vulgarly used 
in our days, it certainly denotes a kind of coercive influence. 
In this sense it seems to be sometimes used in the sacred 
writings, as in Mat. xxvii, 32 : Acts xxvi, 11. But in this 

4* 



42 CRITICAL AND 

place it surely can signify nothing more ihB.nto urge — to urge 
by importunate persuasion. Physical force has been frequent- 
ly used by Papists, and sometimes by Protestants, to make 
converts to chri.^tiaiiity, or rather to their ov/n peculiar te- 
nets ; but invariably, when used, it has produced many more 
hypocrites than true Christians. The only conversion which 
the gospel recognises as real, sincere, genuine, is a voliinta- 
ry one — the conversion of the heart; and the only means 
which it authorises for the accomplishment of this great pur- 
pose, are those of the moral kind, such as instruction, per- 
suasion, exhortation, prayer, and the like. 

Terse 26. 

*'If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and 
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, 
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." 

Rightly to understand this apparently hard saying of Christ, 
gome acquaintance with the idiom of the Hebrew,- i. e. with 
the modes of expression peculiar to the Jews' language, is 
necessary. This is necessary to a correct interpretation of 
many passages in the Nevv Testament ; for though the ori- 
ginal language of the New Testament be Greek, its idiom 
is the Hebrew ; as we might well suppose would be the case, 
from the fact that all the writers of the jVew Testament, 
(with the exception perhaps of St. T^uke), and our Lord Je- 
sus Christ too, were themselves Hebrews or Jews. Among 
the peculiarities of their language was this, viz : expressing 
a thing ahsoluteljy, or with apparent absoluteness, when the 
thing itself, or the proposition affirming it, is to be under^^ 
stood comparnfively. (See in illustration, Rom, ix, 13 — - 
*' Jacob have I loved ; but Esau have I huted ;" not abso- 
lutely, but comparatively, or in comparison with Jacob. 
See also Ps. li, 16, compared with Mat. xii, 7.) And this 
same idiom obtains in the verse now under consideration. 
Its true meaning will appear by comparing it with the paral- 
lel passage, Mat. x, 37 — "He that loveth father or mother 
more than me, is not worthy of me ; and he that loveth son 
or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me." The ha- 
tred, therefore, which must be exercised by the Christian 
towards his near relatives, and which is here represented 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 43 

as essential to one's being a true and accepted follower of 
Christ, is only a comparative hatred. We must hate them 
not absolutely, but comparatively, or in comparison with 
Christ ; for surely his gospel neither requires nor allows us 
to hate, strictly and properly, a7iy of our fellow creatures, 
but on the contrary, to love them all, even our enemies. 
(Mat. V, 44 : 1 Thess. iii, 12.) The meaning, in a word, is 
this : We must love Christ above all. He must be enthroned 
supremely in our affections and judgments, and must, in our 
view, have in all things the pre-eminence. If, then, he 
should say to you or me, as he did to Peter, " Lovest thou 
me more than these,^^ what answer must we give 1 

Chap, xv^ 7. 

" i say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heavea 
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and 
nine just persons, which need no repentance." 

How often has the question been put — Who are these 
ninety and nine just persons, that need no repentance 1 
Surely (hei need, the absolute necessity of repentance, must 
be co-extensive with sinfulness and guilt. And " who can 
say, I have made my heart clean : I am pure from my sin 1" 
Some expositors refer this expression to the angels, suppos- 
ing that they, viz. those '< angels which have kept their first 
estate," are intended thereby. It is conceded both that they 
are just persons, and that they need no repentance j but 
whether it be indeed true, that there is more joy in that holy 
and happy world, which has for so many thousand years been 
the place of their residence, over one repenting sinner of our 
race, thim over them, or over ninely and nine of them, we 
may well doubt. The self-righteous Pharisees, and others 
like them, appear to have been the persons chiefly intended 
by this expression. (See Schleusner, Parkhurst, Bishop 
Pearce, &c. ) But how, you will ask, could it be said that they 
need no repentance ? Does not our Lord say to such charac- 
ters, *' Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish?" 
(Luke xiii, 3.) How, then, could it be said, and that too by 
Christ himself, the faithful and true witness, that they need 
no repentance? Answer — Just as well and just as properly 
as it may be said, " They that be whole need not a physi- 



44 CRITICAL AND 

cian, but they that are sick." Those Pharisees wefe self^ 
righteous to a great decree — ^just and righteous in their own 
apprehension. Kence the scripture speaks of them as trust- 
ing in themselves, that they were righteous, and as going 
about or seeking to establish thoir own righteousness. iNor 
was their righteousness ceremonial only ; it did not consist 
only and entirely in an exact observance of the rites and 
ceremonies enjoined l>y tlu* Mosaic law. In many rcf pects 
they were really maral^ in the usual sense of the word, and 
" blameless, touching the righteousness which is of the 
law." Hence the title of just persons was readily given to 
them by their countrymen general iy. And from several pas- 
sages of scripture it appears to have been not unusual for 
God to give to men, to ihe Jews especially, those titles or 
appellatioris by which thev were usually distinguished among 
their fellow men. 'There is no difficulty in seeing how 
there should be joy in heaven over one sinner that repcnteth, 
more than over ninety and nine such just persons, who 
thous:hl they needed no repentance — no thorough change of 
character. 0, sinners ! what a weighty reason for your im- 
mediate repentance is heve presented ! Your pious relatives, 
ministers of the gospel, Christians generally, all heaven, 
would rejoice, in seeing you throwing down the weapons of 
your rebellion. 

Verse IS. 

'* I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, 
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee." 

The only remaric 1 shall make on this passage is, that it 
seems sufficiently to justify the use of such expressions as 
these — " rebellion against heaven,''^ " assistance o( heaveny''* 
&c. Some object to such expressions, on the ground ihat 
they savour too much of heathenism. Indeed, they may be 
used too frequently and too loosely. But when we use them 
understandingly and reverently, or, in a v/ord, as not abus- 
ing them, we have scriptural warrant for our practice. See 
beside this passage, Ps. Ixxiii, 9 — " They set their mouth 
against the heavens ;" i. e. against God. Dan. iv, 26 — 
" Thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shall 
have known that the heavens do rule ;" i. e. Jehovah doth 
rule. 



explanatory notes. 45 

Chap, xvi, 8, 9. 

" And the lord commended the unjust steward, because 
he had done wisely ; for the children of this world are in 
their generation wiser than the children of light. And I 
say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of 
unrighteousness ; that when ye fail, they may receive you 
into everlasting habitations." 

The lord, i. e. the rich man mentioned in verse 1^ commend- 
ed the unjust steward. He did not approve of him as though 
he had done rightly ; for he had no right thus to dispose of 
his master's property, without his master's consent; but 
commended, praised him, because he had done wisely, i. e, 
for himself, (compare Ps. xlix, 18), in thus providing for 
himself a home and a subsistence, after he should have 
been put out of the stewardship. " For the children of this 
world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." 
The meaning is, that worldly men are more prudent in form- 
ing, and more energetic and persevering in executing plans 
to obtain the riches and honours of this transitory world, than 
Christians are to secure an interest in the durable riches and 
everlasting honours of heaven. Alas, how true is this ! But 
what can be the meaning of verse 9- — " And I say unto you, 
make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteous- 
ness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlast- 
ing habitations ?' Mammon, in this place, denotes riches, 
worldly possessions. (Compare Mat. vi, 24). The phrase, 
" mammon of unrighteousness," is a Hebraism, for un- 
righteous mammon or riches, so called because they are 
often gotten unrighteously, as well as unrighteously and in- 
juriously used. With this mammon of unrighteousness we 
are to make to ourselves friends, that when we fail, they 
may receive us into everlasting habitations. One inter- 
pretation of these words is — that with the right use of this 
world's goods, we should conciliate the friendship of our 
fellow-men, so far as we can do it conscientiously and con* 
sistently ; at any rate, that in our worldly affairs we should 
pursue such a course as can give no just ground of offence, 
and such as is well adapted for making them our friends, 
and would do it, were their hearts rightly disposed, and ca- 
pable of being won by kindness ; that with our worldly 



46 CRITICAL AND 

possessions we should do good, especially to the poor and 
needy ; should be like Job, eyes to the blind, and feet to the 
lame, &c. ; that when we die, and leave this present world, 
these our worthy friends, who have been relieved by our 
charities, i. e. those of them who have died before us, and 
gone to heaven, may receive us into heavenly mansions. If 
the phrase " they may receive you," must be understood lite- 
rally ; that is, if it must be understood as denoting some 
particular persons, and the act of some particular persons, 
it seems as though it ought to be referred to the persons just 
mentioned ; those v/hom we may have made our friends, of 
or with the mammon of unrighteousness. Certainly the 
correspondence between the literal and the spiritual import 
of the parable, is much better presented by ihis interpreta- 
tion, than by one which would refer this phrase to any other 
beings. For, it should be remembered, that the persons 
who received the unjust steward into their houses, were the 
very same who had been the subjects of his profuse, though 
unjustiKable beneficence. Another interpretation, however, 
of the last part of verse 9, may be given, and perhaps a bet- 
ter one. In ch. xii, 20, Goo ia represented as saying to the 
rich man — " Thou fool, this night do or shall they require 
thy soul of thee ;" for so it is in the Greek. But this is a 
Hebrew idiom, for " thy soul shall be required of thse," as 
it reads in our translation. So, when it is said, " ihey may 
receive you into everlasting habitations," the meaning may 
be, and probably is, simply this, viz. that ye may be received 
into everlasting habitations. This last is the interpretation 
adopted by Rosenmuiler and f»everal other distinguished 
critics. 

Chap, xvim, 12. 

" I fast twice in the week." 

It appears from ancient records, that the two days of fast- 
ing among the Pharisees were the second and the fifth days 
of the week, or Thursday and Monday, as we denominate 
them ; on Thursday, in memory of Moses' going up to 
Mount Sinai; and on Monday, in memory of his coming 
down from thence. 

Chap, xix, 22, 

-^ '' Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking 

up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow." 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 47 

The intelligent reader readily perceives that either these 
words are to be understood as the language of the sinner's 
heart, or the whole is to be read interrogatively, thus — 
" Knewest thou that I was an austere man 1" &c. 

Chap, xx, 18. 

*' Whosoever shall fall upon that stone, (this stone, Mat. 
xxi, 44), shall be broken ; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it 
will grind him to powder." 

Christ here refers to himself, as, by way of eminence, the 
stone— ihe tried corner stone mentioned by Isaiah and Da- 
vid; and is supposed to predict the certain doom of two 
sorts of persons. Those who should fall upon him in pres- 
ent unbelief, and persecution, and finally in crucifying him, 
would be broken — terribly punished with the loss of their 
religious privileges, and with grievous temporal calamities, 
especially in the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, 
(v»^herein, as Josephus says, 1,100,000 Jev/s lost their lives). 
But a still more terrible punishment awaited the finally im- 
penitent, on whom this mighty stone should fall, in his final, 
and holy, and tremendous vrrath. It would " grind them 
to powder." Therefore, " Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, 
and, ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a 
little." 

Chap, xxi, 11. 

— " And fearful sights and great signs shall there be 

from heaven." 

Josephus, the Jewish historian, who was an eye-witness 
of the destruction of Jerusalem, says, that for some time 
before that event, a comet like a flaming sword waved over 
Jerusalem ; that there was in the air the appearance of con- 
tending armies ; that the great gate of the temple, v»'hich 
twenty men could scarcely shut, and which was made fast 
with bolts, was seen to open of its own accord, at the sixth 
hour of the night ; that at the feast of Pentecost, when the 
priests went at night into the temple to attend their service, 
they heard a great noise, and after that the sound as of a 
multitude, saying, " Let us go hence ;" that four years be- 
fore the war, one Jesus, at the feast of tabernacles, began 
on a sudden to cry aloud, " A voice from the east, a voice 



48 CRITICAL AND 

from the v/est, a voice from the four winds, a voice against 
Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bride- 
grooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole peo- 
ple ;" and that he continued this cry for seven years and 
jfive months. The testimony of Tacitus, also, the Roman 
historian, is to the same effect. We see, then, in part, what 
Christ intended by the fearful signs and great sights from 
heaven. 

Chap, xxii, 32. 

" And when thou art converted, strengthen thy 

brethren." 

The word conversion is commonly used by Christians, to 
denote that great moral renovation called a change of heart, 
or, (as Christ expresses it, John iii, 3), a being born again. 
Hence the perplexity occasioned to some by these words of 
Christ to Peter. For was Peter, say they, never converted 
before ] \Yas he never a good man until after his fail 1 In re- 
ply, it may be remarked, that there is no necessity of re- 
stricting the term conversion to the sense just mentioned. 
On the contrary, whether we regard the precise import of 
the word itself, or the manner in which it is commonly used 
and applied in the scriptures, we shall perceive that it is as 
properly applicable to those active moral exercises or chris- 
tian graces in the creature, which follow regeneration, as it 
is to that great change itself. The meaning of this text ap- 
pears to be as if Christ had said, ' "When thou, Peter, art 
brought to repentance, for this thy sin in denying me ; know- 
ing, as you then will know, the weakness of human nature, 
and of even good men, strengthen thy brethren.' And it is 
very remarkable how Peter remembered and obeyed this 
dh-ection of his Lord. In particular, his two epistles relate 
much to the subject of trials, and are excellently adapted to 
comfort and strengthen such as are " exercised thereby ;" 
such as, to use his own words, " are in heaviness, through 
manifold temptations." 

Chap, xxtii, 31. 
" For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be 
done in the dry ?" 

Among the Hebrews a virtuous man was often compared 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 49 

to a tree flourishing in vigor and beauty ; but the wicked 
were compared to a dry tree, the proper image of misery 
and death. (See in illustration, Ps. i, 3, and Isa. Ivi, 3.) 
The sense of the passage, then, is as if Christ had said — 
* If such things be done to the good, to myself, what shall 
be done to, what must be the punishment of, the incorrigible 
Jews, and of all the finally impenitent.' Like the dry tree 
they will be fit only for the fuel, and their '* end will be to be 
burned." (Heb. vi, 8.) 



JOHN. 

Chapter i, Yerse 16. 

" And of his fulness hav6 all we received, and grace for 
grace." 

The last clause of this verse, which indeed is the only 
part of it that requires explanation, has been variously un- 
derstood and interpreted. Believers are here said to receive 
from the fulness of Christ, grace for grace. What can be 
the precise meaning of this expression 1 Without mention- 
ing all the constructions of this phrase which have been 
adopted by different expositors, I shall merely suggest that 
w^hich on mature deliberation appears to me to be the best. 
The meaning of St. John, in this verse, is supposed to be as 
if he had said — 'From the fulness that is in Christ, the incar- 
nate Word, have all we believers received spiritual supplier 
in great abundance and variety ; and particularly grace for 
grace ; i. e. there is grace in us, answerable to grace in him; 
we have the same sort of dispositions as he had. He had 
them, indeed, ivithout measure, but we in measure, yet 
abundantly ; and we are hereby conformed to the image of 
him who is the first born among many brethren.' (Rom. 
viii, 29.) 

Verse 21. 

" And they asked him, what then ? Art thou Elias 1 And 
he saith I am not." 

This is the record and testimony of John the Baptist res- 
pecting himself, according to St. John. But according to St. 
Matthew, xi, 13, 14, Jesus Christ, the faithful and true wit- 

5 



50 CRITICAL AND 

ness, said — " All the prophets and the law prophesied until 
John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for 
to come." Now, it must be allowed, there is at first an ap- 
pearance of a contradiction between these two texts. John 
the Baptist says expressly, that he is not Elias ; and Christ 
says as expressly, that he is Elias, which was for to come ; 
i. e. who was to come as the forerunner of Christ, to prepare 
his way, agreeably to Isa. xl, 3, and Mai. iv, 5. Can these 
two texts be reconciled with each other? Answer — 'Easily, 
by only attending to the meaning of John and of Christ. John 
the Baptist meant that he was not that identical prophet, call- 
ed Elias or Elijah, who appeared in the time of Ahab. Jesus 
Christ meant, that though John the Baptist was not that iden- 
tical per.'on, yet he came " in the spirit and power of Elias," 
(Luke i, 17) ; and in this sense, or in reference to this, he 
might properly be called Elias or Elijah. Hence we see, 
that neither did John the Baptist nor Christ say any thing 
but what was perfectly true, in the sense they meant to be 
understood, and that there is a perfect consistency between 
their respective declarations on this subject. 

Chap, iit, 3. 

" Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say 
unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God." 

The Greek word here translated again, sometimes signi- 
fies froiu above, and is accordingly thus translated in verse 
31st of this chapter, and in James i, 17. The word mfm, 
jn this passage, is generic, denoting neither males of one age, 
to the exclusion of those of another, nor indeed the male sex, 
to the exclusion of the female ; but mankind generally. In 
proof of this, it may be observed that the corresponding 
Greek word rls is thus generic, signifying exactly, any one. 
Let us, "hen, never forget that to enjoy eternal happiness in 
heaven, a spiritual change, an internal, moral renovation, is 
necessary ; that this is necessary for every one, for the 
merely moral, as well as for the openly profane ; and that 
for the production of this change, supernatural, divine influ- 
ence is necessary ; and let it be our unceasing prayer, " Cre- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 61 

nie in me a clean heart, God ; renew a right spirit within 
me." 

Verse 12. 

" If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, 
how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly Ihings?' 

There is no other difnculty attending this passage, than 
what relates to the first part of it — " If I have told you earth- 
ly things, and ye believe not." The difficulty lies in seeing 
hon^ this remark can be true. For did the l-^ord Jesus, 
vi'hile on earth, spend his time in talking to the people about 
earthly, worldly things 1 From his li,ie, as written by the 
Evangelists, we certainly should not drav/ any such conclu- 
sion ; but the contrary would thence most clearly appear. 
At least, it would thence appear that he v/as never in the 
^ habit of talking about worldly things, except for the illustra- 
tion of heavenly things. Row, then, aie we to understand 
these words 1 It should be remembered that the entire par- 
agraph, from the 1st to. the 13th verse, relates to the new 
birth. The verse now under consideration is enly a con- 
tinuation of the same subject. By earthly things, therefore, 
our Saviour must have intended the nevj birth if&elf — its na- 
ture, necessity, and the mysterious manner in vvdiich it is 
effected ; ,of which points he had just spoken. (See verses 
3, 5, 8.) These might be called earihly thinps, because 
that great moial change, is confined to this earth or v/orld, 
and must be effected here, if any where ; because it might 
be illustrated by earthly things, as water and wind ; and 
because it is a simple subject, and to the true Christian 
plain, and easy to be understood, especially as com>pared 
with heavenly things — things relating more directly to the 
inhabitants, exhibitions, eniployments, and enjoyments of 
the heavenly world ; subjects, which, to a mind like that of 
Nicodemus, would be more abstruse, refined, uninteUigible, 
and incredible. 

Verse 13. 

*' And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that 
came down from heaven." 

Of all those subjects which lay beyond the reach of ordi- 
nary human investigation, the Hebrews were accustomed to 
i3^aj that they were in heaven ; and if any appeared to under- 



52 CRITICAL AND 

stand them, he was said by them to have been in heaven, 
and thence to have obtained his knowledge. (See Deut. 
XXX, 12, and Prov. xxx, 4.) 

Verse 23. 

" And John also was baptising in Enon, near to Salim, 
because there was much water there." 

Much water — in Greek vSaifa ifoXka, literally, many wa- 
ters. I find in my Hebrew Bible, an exactly correspondent 
phrase used, in Num. xx, 11, viz: maim rabbim. The 
radical Hebrew word rabah, signifies to be, or to become 
great, either in number or in quantity. Our translators have 
rendered the clause referred to in this last verse, viz. Num. 
XX, 11, thus : — " The water came out abundantly." Literal- 
ly, it would be, " many or great waters came out." But 
whichsoever of these words be used, many or great, it can- 
not be rationally supposed that a river, or indeed a stream 
of water of any considerable depth, was produced by Moses' 
striking the rock with his rod. The Psalmist, speaking of 
the same event, says — '' Behold he smote the rock, that the 
waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed." (Ps. 
Ixxviii, 20.) The meaning is, the waters flowed from the 
rock, and ran along on the ground, in such quantities as 
were sufficient to quench the thirst of the Israelites and of 
their cattle. And as this Hebrew phrase answers exactly 
to the Greek one, in John iii, 23, I would propose it as a 
query worthy of some attention, especially from linguists, 
whether this last passage is so decisive in proof of baptismal 
immersion^ as is by some supposed. 

Chap, iv, 11. 

" The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to 
draw with, and the well is deep ; from whence then hast 
thou that living water?" 

From Rauwolf, as cited by Harmer, (vol. 2, page 142| 
Clark's edition), we learn that the wells in Judea have no 
implements to draw water with, except what those persons 
bring with them who go thither to draw. Speaking particu- 
larly of the wells at Bethlehem, he says, " The people that 
go to dip water, are provided with small leathern buckets 



EXPLANTORY NOTES. Ow 

and a line, as is usual in these countries." Hence, then^ 
we may see the reason why the Samaritan woman was so 
much astonished at Christ's offering her water to drink, (i- 
e. material water, for she understood him to mean that), 
when he had nothing to draw with— hud not provided himself 
with the leathern bucket and the line. No wonder that in 
such a case she should be astonished at Christ's remark, 
especially as she did not then know u^ho it tvcis that said to 
her, "Give mo to drink." (Verse 10.) How clearly aiad 
impressively do these v/ords of the woraai\ to Christ, togeth- 
er with the whole conversation that passed betv/een them, 
illustrate the backwardness, the dullness of sinners, in re- 
ceiving spiritual instruction ! Though Christ referred to the 
water of life, and was explicit enough to convince any one 
not wholly blind, that he did refer to it, (see verses 10, 14) ; 
yet she all the while understood him as referring to material 
water only. And how evident it is from this instance, that 
the understanding of the female sex also, as well -as of the 
male, is in respect to spiritual things, " darkened, by reason 
of the blindness (or callousness) of their hearts !" 

Terse 20. 

•• Our fiithers worshipped in this mountain ; and ye say 
ihat in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." 

To understand the import of this remark of the Samaritan 
woman, it is necessary to recur to a few facts in sacred his- 
tory. It should, however, be first observed, that Mount 
Gerizim was the mountain to which this woman here refers. 
Near to this mountain the patriarchs, and particularly Jacob, 
erected altars, (Gen. xxxiii, 20, &c.) ; and from it Moses 
pronounced the blessing. (Deut. xxvii, 12.) No temple, 
however, was erected there until the time of Sanballat, the 
well known contemporary and adversary of Nehemiah. 
From Josephus we learn, that this Sanballat, finding him- 
self unable to prevent the rebuilding of the temple at Jeru- 
salem by Nehemiah, resolved to build another of his own 
elsewhere. He was, it seems, determined to prevent the 
performance of divine worship, especially of sacrificial wor- 
ship, at Jerusalem; and if he could not accomplish his pur- 
pose in one way, he meant to do it another. If the temple 
5* 



54 CRITCAL AND 

must be rebuilt on Mount Zion, he would build another on 
Mount Gerizim. Hence, as he supposed, the people would 
become divided ; and thus his darling object would be, at 
least in part, accomplished. Accordingly, through his in- 
strumentality, a temple was erected on Mount Gerizim. 
And these two temples stood in a state of mutual rivalry and 
opposition for about two hundred and twenty years ; and until 
Hircanus, a high priest of the Jews, destroyed the one on 
Mount Gerizim, about one hundred and thirty-one years be- 
fore Christ. But so long as this temple stood, the Samari- 
tans resorted to it for worship ; and even after it was destroy- 
ed, and no vestige of the edifice itself was visible, its very 
site was considered as holy ground, and was accordingly 
resorted to by the Samaritans for devotional purposes. 
Hence, then, the remark, and hence the meaning of the re- 
mark of the Samaritan woman, " Our fathers worshipped in 
this mountain.''^ But still the Jews believed that divine 
public worship ought to be performed, and that especially 
sacrifices ought to be offered, at Jerusalem ; and this opinion 
they, it seems, considered as sufficiently supported by such 
passages as 1 Kings xi, 32, &c. The truih is, both these 
sorts of people had been in an error ; the one for ascribing 
too much, and the other for ascribing too Uttle importance 
to Jerusalem, and to divine worship as there performed. In 
2 Kings xxi, 7, we read, that " The Lord said to David, and 
to Solomon his son — In this house, and in Jerusalem, which 
I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my 
name forever ;" and this, surely, implies that some peculiar 
vsanctity was attached to that city and to its temple, and that 
they both had been and would be peculiarly privileged. Yet 
it could not hence be inferred that any other place or temple 
was in itself unholy, nor that religious worship would fail of ac- 
ceptance, merely because it was performed elsewhere. Still 
less ground could there have been for the belief in the exclu- 
sive holiness of any particular places or temples, since the ad- 
vent of the Messiah, as the darkness then passed away, and 
the true light shined. Hence said our Lord to the woman, 
" Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall nei- 
ther in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the 
Father. The hour cometh, and now is, when the true wor- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 55 

shippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth ; for 
the Father seeketh such to worship Him." 

Chap, v, 18. 

" Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because 
he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God 
was his Father, making himself equal with God." 

This is one among the many scriptural passages, in which, 
though the general idea is given, the exact meaning and force 
of the original have not been transfused into our version. 
The word Ulog, in the Greek, signifies not merely his, but 
his otvn, as we say. " It denotes property, appropriation, 
or peculiar relation." (Parkhurst.) This then is the mean- 
ing : — He said that God was his own Father ; i. e. his by 
way of eminence ; peculiarly his Father ; his Father in a 
sense in which he is not the Father of mere men, nor of any 
other being. Indeed, it is evident the Jews understood him 
to mean thus, because they understood his claiming the filial 
relation in question, as equivalent to "his making himself 
equal with God." Besides, it is impossible to account for 
the rage which this declaration of Christ excited in their 
minds, on any other ground. This passage, then, rightly 
interpreted, is more in point, and has more weight in proving 
Christ's divinity, than common readers are apt to imagine. 

Yerse 31. 
" If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." 
It is difficult to see why any man, and especially the 
"faithful and true Witness," might not speak the truth, in 
opposition to speaking falsehood, of himself, as well of any 
other person or thing. The meaning of Christ, therefore, 
must have been, " If I only bear witness of myself, my tes- 
timony is not valid and sufficient ;" i. e. is not what your 
law requires, for that requires at least two or three witness- 
es ; and if this number were necessary for the condemnation 
of a criminal, (Deut. xvii, 6), undoubtedly it must be to 
prove the divine mission of a prophet. That the word true, 
in this verse, means sufficient, and that our Lord here refer- 
red to the above mentioned requisition in the Jewish law, 
further appears, from his proceeding to mention three wit- 



56 CRITICAL AND 



m 



nesses in his favor ; that of his Father, (verse 37) ; that of 
John the Baptist, (verse 33) ; and that of his own worksj 
(verse 36.) 

Chap, viii, 36. 

" If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be 
free indeed." 

The only remark I would make on this scripture is, that 
it justifies the distinction sometimes made between moral 
freedom and spiritual freedom; for these Jews were cer- 
tainly in some sense free already. Else they would not 
have been moral ajrents, nor of course accountable for their 
actions ; for freedom is an essential property of moral agen- 
cy, and absolutely necessary to render any one accountable. 
No one, it is presumed, will deny that these Jews were ac- 
countable creatures. They must then have been free agents ; 
i. e. they must have possessed mora/ freedom — the freedom 
of moral agents. A>ut yet these words of Christ plainly im- 
ply that there is another kind of freedom attainable by men, 
and one more excellent than the other — the fruit of his gos- 
pel and renewing fi;;ice, of v^^hich these Jews were, and of 
course all the unrenewed are, utterly destitute ; for ^^who- 
soever committeth (Y^factiseth) sin, is the servant of sin.'* 
(Verse 34.) And tlvis is what may be called, in contradis- 
tinction to the other, spiriiual freedom, or (to use scripture 
language) "the ghrious liberty of the children of God." 
The due consideration of these two sorts of freedom, and of 
the difference betwcn them, might serve to silence, at least 
to confute, many o: the objections which are now brought 
against the calvini ;;e exhibition of some evangelical sub- 
jects. Possibly bo ;i these sayings may yet be true, and 
consequently consist nt with each other, viz : " Whosoever 
will, let him take tb' water of life freely;" and " No man 
can come to me, exc pt the Father, who hath sent me, draw 
him." (Rev. xxii, 17: John vi, 44.) 

Chap, x, 12. 

" But he that is ai /ireling, and not the shepherd, whose 
own the sheep are nc t . seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth 
the sheep." 

This passage would not be particularly noticed in a trea- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 57 

tise of this kind, had it not become necessary to protest 
against that misapplication of it which has been made by ig- 
norant and bigoted people. How often have such persons 
applied it to those ministers of the gospel, who have receiv- 
ed, and thought it right to receive, from their people, a stipu- 
lated worldly maintenance ! How often have such ministers 
been called hirelings, becaus^e they received pay, i. e. a main- 
tenance, and frequently a very scanty one too, for their ser- 
vices ! At the same time, it is remarkable that no other 
class of citizens in community has been branded with this 
odious appellation, merely for this reason. It is taken for 
granted by these persons, that all other sorts of people are 
of right entitled to reward for their labours, themselves not 
excepted. But if a minister receives, and especially if he 
demands such reward, he is immediately called a hireling. 
Now these persons ought to be instructed in this one thing, 
viz. that there is a great difference between amere hireling, 
and a hired man. A hireling, as we usually understand 
the term, is a mere mercenary, working only for the sake of 
the wages. But a hired man need not be of this descrip- 
tion. For though many hired men, and some hired minis- 
ters, are undoubtedly hirelings also ; yet their being so is 
not owing to the bare fact, that they receive and expect pay 
for their work, but solely to the selfish, sordid disposiiion 
with which they work and receive their pay ; to the circum- 
stance, that as the pay was the only motive to, so it is the 
only end of their working. The distinguishing badge of th© 
hireling intended by Christ, is ^^ not- caring for the sheep,^^ 
But must we certainly conclude, that no man who feeds a 
flock, can have any care at all for the welfare of the flock, 
merely because he beheves in, and claims his right to eat of 
the milk of the flock? (See 1 Cor. ix, 7, with the context.) 
If every hired man must necessarily be a hireling too, in the 
bad and usual sense of that term, what a humiliating view 
would this give us of ninety-nine out of a hundred of our 
race ; for probably as large a proportion of them as this, is 
sometimes, and in some way or other, hired by their fellow 
men. 



58 critical and 

Chap, xiv, 12. 
■ '* Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, 
the works that I do shall he do also ; and greater works 
than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father." 

This verse contains two propositions : — 1. That the be- 
liever in Christ should do not only the same, but even great- 
er works than Christ had done. 2. That the reason of this, 
was Christ's going to his Father. And that both are true, 
we ought not to doubt, because they were both delivered 
from the mouth of " the ftiithful and true Witness" himself, 
and are introduced with " verily, verily," an asseveration, 
or emphatical expression, which he frequently used when he 
was about to assert and inculcate some very important 
truth. But the question is,, how, or in luhat sense, are they 
true? In what sense v/as it to be understood that believers 
in Christ, i. e. the apostles, should do greater works than 
any he had done 1 Ans'ver — These words of Christ may re- 
late to Jji{r7,c/es inpart, but they relate chiefly to tliQ success 
which sliould attend and follow the apostle's ministry. The 
apostles were to have, and they actually had, more visible 
success in their evangelical labours, than Christ, v/hile on 
earth, had in his. The number of those who bscamo con- 
verts to chrislianity after Christ's d^^ath, viz. jn the apostol- 
ic age, or during the lives and by the labours of the apostles, 
was much greater than that of those who became converts 
during Chiist's life time. From the second chapter of the 
Acts of thd Apostles, it appears that the conversion of three 
thousand souls was the fruit of a single sermon delivered by 
St. Peter ; a number, probably, much greater than the ivlioh 
number of tho.se who became Christ's friends and followers, 
during his personal abode on earth. And the reason why 
the apostles should (instrumnntally) do such great and 
mighty works, was, that Christ would go to his Father, and 
thence, having received gifts for men, would send down up- 
on them his Holy Spirit, and thus endue them with power 
from on high. (John xvi, 7 — 12: Luke xxiv, 49.) It is 
said in reference to the time of Christ's personal residence 
on earth, " The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because 
that Jesus was not yet glorified." (John vii, 39.) 3^ut after 
the heavens had received him to the glory which he had with 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 59 

the Father, before the world was, the blessed Spirit was 
indeed given, and much more remarkably and gloriously than 
it had ever been before ; not only in his miraculous, but al- 
so in his illuminating, awakening, renewing, quickening, 
comforting, ana saving influences. 

Chap, xv, 2. 

" Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh 
away ; anu every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, 
that it may bring forth more fruit." 

Persons may be said to be in, Christ in two senses ; by 
profession m< rely, and in reality, or by a vital union. Those 
of the former cla.ss are unfruitful, and must as such be taken 
away — remove d ; but not so with the latter, nor with any 
one of them ; ^ar " every branch that beareth fruit, he purg- 
eth it, that it iTsay bring forth more fruit :" '' i ie purgeth it," 
i. e. he pruneth it ; for such was evidently the meaning of 
Christ in this place. For the metaphor is taken from vines 
and fruit trees, whose branches are pruned, or cleared of 
useless shoots and twigs, that they may thereby become 
more fruitful. ( 

Chap, xvi, 13. 

" Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, i§ come, he will 
guide you into all truth." 

In the original, the definite article is used ; it is t^v akr]' 
^s'lav. The English translation, therefore, ought to have 
been " into all the truth." The necessity of this interpretation 
appears, not only from the circumstance relative to the arti- 
cle, but also from another circumstance or fact equally un- 
deniable, viz. that it surely is not the office-work of the Holy 
Spirit to lead men into truth and science of all kinds. The 
ordinary teachii^gs and influences of the Holy Ghost have 
no concern with any other sort of truth than evangelical 
truth, or, as the scripture calls it, " the truth as it is in 
Jesus." 

Yerse 23. 

" And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, veri- 
ly, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in 
my name, he will give it you." 

Though the word ash occurs in both the members of this 



60 CRITICAL AND 

text, its meaning is not the same ; nor is it in the Greek the 
same word that is used, in both these instances. In the 
former it is spwraw, which signifies properly to interrogate, 
to ask questions ; in the latter'^it is ajVs'w, which signifies sim- 
ply to beg, to beseech, to pray. Our Saviour's meaning, 
when he said, '' In that day ye shall ask me nothing," was, 
that in that day, i. e. after ho had ascended to heaven, and 
the Holy Spirit had been ponred out, their minds would be so 
enlightened, and their views so rectified and enlarged, that 
they would not have occasion to question him — to enquire of 
him about the meanin;^ of his words, nor to consult him in 
their difficulties, as frequently before they had found it ne- 
cessary to do. Prayer, however, would be as necessary af- 
terwards as it ever had been ; only it would be offered in a 
different manner from what it had been. During " all the 
time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them," 
they had been accustomed to offer their petitions in a great 
measure to him drectly. But henceforth, in consequence 
of being more enlightened by the Spirit in respect to the true 
way of access to Ihe mercy-seat, they would pray more di- 
rectly to the Father in his name, or through his mediation, 
and intercession ; and these their petitions would be answer- 
ed. It is remarkable, also, that lohatsoever they should ask 
the Father in his name, He would give it them. Whatever 
special reference this language, and language like it used 
in a few other places, (see chap, xiv, 14 : Mark xi, 23, 24), 
might have had to the apostles, as such, it seems it does not 
refer to them exclusively. For St. John, writing to Chris- 
tians generally, says, (1 John v. 14, 15) — " And this is the 
confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing ac- 
cording to his ivill, he heareth us : And if we know that he 
hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the pe- 
titions that we desired of him." The most onlightened, the 
most spiritual, and the most 'prayerful among Christians, 
generally agree in this ; that much more is included in the 
•prayer of faith than is commonly imagined. And so far as 
the passage before us is applicable to believers generally, it 
certainly appears to favour such a sentiment. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 61 

Chap, xix, 11. 

" Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at ail 
against me, except it were given thee from above : There- 
fore, he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." 

There is no difficulty attending the first part of this verse. 
Our Lord here implicitly reproves Pilate for his arrogance, 
in pretending to so much power against him, and reminds 
him that all this his power was given him from above. Of 
course, it was not his own originally, but he was dependent 
for it. He had received it, and he ought not to glory as though 
he had not received it. Some difficulty, however, attends 
the last part of this verse, as connected with the first part. 
The word '' therefore," commonly denotes some inference 
from what has been said before ; or it is used to give some 
reason for what had been before said. But how could the 
mere circumstance, that all Pilate's power against Christ 
was given him from above, or from heaven, be of itself any 
reason why Caiaphas and the Jewish Council, who delivered 
Christ to Pilate ; had any greater sin in the affiiir of Christ's 
final condemnation and crucifixion, than Pilate had 1 Doubt- 
less, the former were in fact far more criminal in this affair 
than the latter. But wherefore 1 Evidently, because they 
had so much greater light and knowledge respecting the true 
God and his law, and the doctrine, miracles, and life of Je- 
sus, than Pilate, a heathen, had ; and because, notwithstand- 
ing all this, they " delivered up Jesus, and denied him, in 
the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him 
go, and desired a murderer to be granted unto them, and 
killed the Prince of Life." They, therefore, sinned against 
far greater light and knowledge than Pilate did ; and this 
we suppose to have been the reason why they were more 
criminal in this affair than Pilate was ; and not the mere 
circumstance that all Pilate's power against Christ was giv- 
en him from heaven. There is another reading of this 

passage, cited by Rosenmuller, and adopted by some crit- 
ics, and which probably is the true reading. The reading 
in question includes a change in the punctuation, by con- 
necting (5»a rturo, " therefore," with avw^sv, " from above," 
thus : — " Thou couldest have no power at all against me, 
except it were given thee from above, /or this purpose. He 

6 



62 CRITICAL AND 

that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.*' Every 
Greek scholar knows that the preposition and pronoun bere 
used, maybe translated indifferently, therefore, on this ac- 
count, fur this purpose, according to the exigency of the case. 
I would only add, (what indeed every reader must perceive), 
that this latter reading gives a good sense, entirely clears 
the passage of all difficulty, and renders the whole plain, 
and easy to be understoood. 

Chap, xx, 17. 

'* Jesus saith unto her, touch me not ; for I am not yet 
ascended to ray Father : But go to my brethren, and say 
unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father ; and 
to my Gv:>D5 and your God." 

The question is, how could the circumstance that Jesus 
had not yet ascended to his Father, be a reason why Mary 
might iiot touch him 1 That this scripture may be rightly 
understood, its several clauses must be considered con- 
nect vely. The following paraphrase will, as is believed, 
illustrate the Saviour's meaning : — ' Touch me not, Ma- 
ry, at present ; i. e. do not stand indulging your person- 
al affection towards me ; for I am not yet ascended to my 
Father, as you see, but shall yet spend some further time 
on earth with my disciples ; so that you may hereafter have 
opportunity to see and converse with me. But for the pre-- 
sent I appoint you to other business. Go to my brethren, 
and say unto them, I aspend unto my Father, and your Fa- 
ther ; and to my God, and your God.' We should .always 
be willing to fprego private, personal gratification, when it 
interferes with the public good. 



ACTS. 

Chapter i. Verse G. 
" When they, therefore, were come together, they asked 
of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the 
kingdom to Israel ?' i. e. Wilt thou now deliver us from the 
Roman yoke, and reinstate us once more, in the rank, rights, 
and privileges, of an independent kingdom ? 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 63 

How impressively, then, does this question show, that 
even pious and good men (for such the apostles undoubted- 
ly were) may bo the subjects of much weakness in faith, and 
of many defective and erroneous views ! Though Christ had 
so explicitly declared, " My kingdom is not of this world," 
his disciples generally, and even his apostles, had been slow 
of heart to believe this ; and had, it seems, never ceased to 
indulge the imagination that their Master would, in due time, 
assume and wield the sceptre of an earthly prince. That 
they had this notion, " all the time that the Lord Jesus went 
in and out among them," is plain, from several passages in 
the Evangelists. (See Mat. xx, 21 : Mark ix, 34: Luke 
xxiv, 21.) And this mistaken notion they continued to 
cherish, until after his resurrection, as the text now under 
consideration plainly evinces. Doubtless the apostles had 
some just yiews of the true nature of the Messiah's reign ; 
but those views were at best obscure and very imperfect, 
and continued so until the memorable day of Pentecost. 
The lesson we may hence learn, or rather the practical con- 
clusion we ought hence to draw, is, not to deny to others 
the character, nor refuse to them the peculiar privileges of 
true Christians, merely because they may be weak in faith, 
and their views of truth may be in some respects defective, or 
even erroneous ; provided, at the same time, their practice 
he in the main, '- such as becomes the gospel of Christ." 

Verse 12. 

" Then returned they unto Jerusalem, from the mount 
called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's 
journey." 

The " Sabbath day's journey" of the Jews was about two 
thousand cubits, eight furlongs, or, in other words, about 
one mile. Perhaps one reason why this particular distance 
was assigned, was, that this was the distance required to be 
between the ark and the camp, (Josh, iii, 4) ; and as the 
towns in Judea were commonly small in respect to local ex- 
tent, so this distance would be usually as much as needed 
to be travelled over, in order to reach their synagogues, the 
usual places of their worship. There may be no ground 
for supposing that the same rigorous restriction, if it may be 



64 CRITICAL AND 

SO called, is now imposed on us ; yet surely we may hence 
lawfully conclude, that such travelling on the Sabbath as is 
practised by many persons at the present day, and that too 
merely for worldly purposes, is highly improper and wrong. 

Chap, ii, 27. 

*' Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, {slg a^ou) ; neither 
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." 

This is a quotation from Ps. xvi, 10. It is evident that 
the primary reference of the words was to David himself; 
and it is equally evident from St. Peter^s application of 
them, in verse 31st of this chapter, that they are referable 
principally and ultimately to Jesus Christ. The question 
then immediately arises, in what sense are they, in this ap- 
plication to be understood ? That Christ's soul should not 
be left in hell, is not at all incredible. But the thing implied 
in the declaration, viz. that Christ, or Christ's soul, was once 
there, creates the difficulty. For the explanation of this pas- 
sage the following remarks may be useful, especially to com- 
mon readers. There are two Greek words which are transla- 
ted hell, Yiz"A§rig, and Tsswa. But their precise signification 
is very different. "ASrig, or ASyjs, is derived from a and ej^sw, 
and means of course invisible. It is synonymous with the 
Hebrew word sheole. " A^tjj denotes sometimes the grave, 
but more commonly the state of the dead, or the region and 
state of separate spirits after death, whether that state be a 
state of happiness or of misery. To the rich man, (Luke 
xvi, 23),"AS'Y\i was a state of misery. We cannot, however, 
determine that he was in misery, merely because he was in 
"A8r]^ ; for Lazarus, who was not in misery, was there also. 
But that the rich man was in misery, we infer solely from 
other circumstances, other expressions used in this chapter, 
such as " being in torments," *' I am tormented in this 
fiame," &c. They were both in "A^^is' ; i. e. they were both 
in the state or region of departed spirits ; but to the one, 
"ASri^ was "joy unspeakable;" to the other, *^ everlasting 
burnings." Of both the Hebrew and the Greek term we 
may affirm, however, that they have not, either of them, in 
themselves considered, any necessary connection with future 
punishment, as will be evident to any one who will examine 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 65 

m the Hebrew Bible, and in the Septuaglnt translation, the 
following passages, viz : Gen. xlii, 38 : Isa. xiv. 9, and 
xxxviii, 10. But Tsiwa denotes properly the place of tor- 
ment. It is derived from oe and hin^om, i. e. the valley 
of Hinnom. (See Josh, xv, 8.) In this valley, sometimes 
called Tophet, the idolatrous Israelites caused their children 
to pass through the fire, to Moloch. (2 Kings xxiii, 10.) 
From its having been the place of such horrid crimes, and 
abominations, and miseries, it came to pass, in process of 
time, that the word Fsswa was used ta signify the future 
state of sin and misery. If now the inquiry be, in what 
sense Christ went to hell, or, in other ^/ords, what is meant 
by Acts ii, 27, the verse before us, the reply is — all that is 
meant by it is, that he was for a season, not in Tsivva, the 
place of torment, but in "ASyj^, the grave, the state of the 
dead, the region of departed spirits. In that state, however, 
Christ was not to he left ; and, we know, he was not left 
there. His body was not left in the grave, so as to see or 
experience corruption there ; nor was his soul or spirit left 
in the region of departed spirits. From that state of the 
dead into which Christ descended, he arose again in his per- 
fect man, consisting of both soul and body. 

Chap, vr, 1. 

^' And in those days, when the nunAer of the disciples 
was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians 
against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected 
in the daily ministration." 

The word hi the original, which is here translated Gre- 
cians, denotes not the descendants of Javan, or the proper 
Greeks, but Grecised Jews, or Hellenists, as they are com- 
monly called ; i. e. those Jews, who, having resided in coun- 
tries where the Greek language prevailed, had themselves 
learned to use that language, in place of that dialect of the 
Hebrew which was then spoken by their countrymen gene- 
rally. These persons also commonly used the Septuagint, 
or Greek translation of the Old Testament, in place of the 
Hebrew scriptures. 

6* 



66 critical and 

Chap, ix, 7, compared with xxii, 9. 

'' And the men which journeyed with him stood speech- 
less, hearing a voice, but seeing no man." But in ch. xxii, 
9, it is said — " And they that were with me saw indeed the 
light, and were afraid ; but they heard not the voice of him 
that spake to me." 

All the difficulty we meet with in comparing these two 
passages, arises from their apparent contradiction. For in 
the first it is said that Paul's fellow travellers heard a voice ; 
and in the last, that they heard not the voice. Now, on first 
inspection, it is evident, that either there is in reality a con- 
tradiction between tbese two statements ; the one of St. 
Luke respecting Paul, and the other of St. Paul respecting 
himself; or the Greek word axouw (hear) is used in different 
senses in these two passages. I'he latter is undoubtedly 
the truth. In the Greek classics, as Kype has shown, the 
word dxovu) is sometimes used to signify understandings as 
well as mere hearing. The same word is so used, and so 
translated, in 1 Cor. xiv, 2 ; and so manifestly is it to be 
understood in Acts xxii, 9. There is, therefore, no contra- 
diction between these two passages. Taken together, their 
meaning is this : Paul's companion's heard a voice, i. e. 
heard a noise, a sound ; yea heard the voice itself, though 
they neither understood its meaning, nor distinctly heard the 
articulate words which were spoken. They heard the voice 
with the ear, but did not understand it — did not understand 
the meaning of it. 

Chap, xiv, 15. 

" Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like 
passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn 
from these vanities unto the living God," &c. 

It is probable that the most of common readers under- 
stand the word " passions" here in its bad sense, as denoting 
the bad, the wicked passions. And there can be no doubt 
that the apostles were to a degree, and at times, the subjects 
of such passions even as others ; because, though good men, 
they were sanctified but in part, and had still a law in their 
members, Warring against the law of their minds, as Paul 
acknowledges respecting himself. (Rom. vii, 23.) At the 
same time, whether we regard the proper import of the 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 67 

Greek word o/xoio'ra^sr^, which signifies, to be affected in 
like manner, subject to like infirmities and sufferings ; or 
the main object of the apostles, in this their expostulation 
with the men of Lystra, which was to *' restrain the people 
that they should not do sacrifice unto them," (verse 18) ; 
we must be convinced that they meant to tell the people 
something more or other, than that they the apostles were 
depraved and wicked men like themselves. It seems that 
the Lystrans at first supposed that Paul and Barnabas were 
some supernatural, celestial beings, because Paul had just 
wrought a miracle before their eyes ; that they were, in 
short, some of their own deities. Hence they called Bar- 
nabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius, and were for immedi- 
ately offering sacrifices unto them. To dissuade them from 
such idolatrous and sacrilegious adoration, the apostles "rent 
their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out and 
saying, Sirs, why do ye these things ? We also are men of 
like passions with you," &c. Now, it should be remem- 
bered, that the Lystrans, as well as other heathens, general- 
ly beheved already, that their deities were in fact of like 
passions with themselves. But this their belief was no im- 
pediment, but rather an excitement to their worshipping 
them. For the apostles, therefore, to have merely announ- 
ced to the Lystrans, that they, their supposed deities, were 
of like irascible, or voluptuous, or ambitious passions with 
themselves, would not have served either to afford them any 
new information, or to restrain them from their meditated 
idolatry ; which last, as before observed, was the main object 
they had in view. What the apostles, then, most directly 
meant in this declaration, was to teach the Lystrans whoj 
rather than what they were ; to declare their humaiiy rather 
than their moral character ; that they were not *' gods in the 
likeness of men," as they had supposed, but mere men, their 
fellow mortals, subject to the same infirmities, calamities, 
and mortality, with themselves ; and therefore not the proper 
objects of divine worship, which was due not to any mere 
men, as they were, nor to any mere creature, but to Jehovah 
only — to " the living God, which made heaven, and earthy 
and the sea, and all things that are therein." 



68 CRITICAL AND 

Chap, xvi, 34. 
— " He rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." 
It is well known that this passage has been much used in the 
baptismal controversy, especially by those writers who advo- 
cate the doctrine, that adults or believers only, are, accord- 
ing to scripture, admissible to baptism. The Pedobaptist 
alledges, verse 33, viz : " And (the jailer) was baptised, he 
and all his straightway," as proving, from apostolic prece- 
dent, the propriety and duty of household baptism, in his 
sense of the phrase. The Antipedobaptist or Baptist (as 
he is commonly called) replies, the household of the jailer 
were believers ; and for proof of his position refers you to 
the words now before us — " He rejoiced, believing in God, 
with all his house." That the household of this man were 
in fact baptised, both parties concede. The only difference 
in sentiment between them on this point, respects the ground 
or reason of their baptism. The one thinks they were bap- 
tised on the ground of the faith of their head ; the other con- 
cludes they were baptised on the ground of their oivn faith, 
and thinks that this passage proves it, or proves at any rate, 
that his household, and all his household, were believers ; 
for it says, " He rejoiced, believing in Goo, with all his 
house." Now, there is nothing in the Greek, that answers 
to the phrase, " with all his house," but one compound word, 
viz. "Travoixl, an adverb. Every Greek scholar knows that 
these words, translated into English in the order in which 
they stand in the original, would run thus : — " He rejoiced 
in or with all his house, having (i. e. he having) believed 
God." The single question is, whether, in translating this 
sentence into our tongue, the same order in respect to the 
location of words ought to be observed, as is observed in 
the original. In both the Latin and Greek languages, words 
are very frequently transposed. Sometimes, also, though 
not so frequently, the same is the case with the Hebrew. 
Now the question is, whether they ought to be transposed 
in this place, or to stand as they are. If the latter — if the 
words are to be translated in the order in which they stand 
in the original, -^ravoixj would naturally qualify '/j^aXX»a^7o, he 
rejoiced. If they should be transposed, then Travoixi would 
naturally qualify crg'Tri^rsuxw^, he believed. According to 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 69 

the first arrangement, the sense would be this : — " He re- 
joiced with all his house, (he) having believed God." Ac- 
cording to the last, this : — " He rejoiced, having believed 
God, with all his house." It is evident our translators 
thought the words ought to be transposed, because in their 
version they have transposed them. Whether they judged 
rightly or not, is a question I shall not at present discuss. 
Before this scripture is dismissed, I would, however, remark, 
that in other places, where the faith of the household was 
clearly meant to be expressed, the phraseology in the origin- 
al is somewhat different from what it is here ; and the dif- 
ference appears in two respects ; the Greek words used to 
express the household, or family, are not the same exactly 
as in this instance ; and the faith or the religious act of the 
parent or head of the household is mentioned first in order y 
i. e. before the household is mentioned. (See in the Greek 
Testament, John iv, 53 : Acts x, 2 ; and xviii, 8.) 

Chap, xvii, 3. 

" Opening and alledging, that Christ must needs have suf- 
fered, and risen again from the dead ; and that this Jesus, 
whom I preach unto you, is Christ." 

Small words often very materially affect the meaning of 
a sentence ; and none more so than the articles a and the. 
" Thou art the man," said Nathan to David. (2 Sam. xii, 
7.) How differently must David have felt in hearing these 
words, particularly in the then existing circumstances, from 
what he would have felt had the prophet said to him merely — 
thou art man, or — thou art a man ! The difference in mean- 
ing and force between these expressions, every one intui- 
tively sees. These remarks are applicable to, and may 
serve to explain, the passage now under consideration. To 
say that Jesus is Christ, or a Christ, is one thing. To say 
that he is the Christ, is another, and a quite different thing. 
Be it remembered, that the names Jesus Christ (the one of 
Hebrew, the other of Greek derivation) are, like most of the 
other proper names of scripture, significant and characteris- 
tical. Jesus signifies Saviour ; Christ signifies anointed. 
It should be remembered, also, that the great and principal 
point in debate between the adherents to Judaism, and the 



70 CRITICAL AND 



advocates for Christianity, in the apostles' days, was, (ag 
indeed it has been ever since), whether Jesus -.vas the Mes- 
siah, the Christ predicted and promised in the Old Testa- 
ment, or not. The former contended he was not, but an 
impostor, (as of course he must have been, if he were not 
the true Messiah) ; the latter maintained that he was, and 
appealed to the prophecies, and reasoned with the Jews out 
of their own scriptures, in proof of the point. On some 
accounts, it was peculiarly important that the apostles should 
"testify to the Jeivs, that Jesus was the Christ," if indeed 
he were really so ; as the apostles were most fully assured. 
For, as a people, the Jews " received him not" in this char- 
acter ; they could not rightly understand many parts of their 
ov/n scriptures, of the prophecies especially, without the 
admission of this point of doctrine ; they could not otherwise 
perceive their own real and enormous guilt in crucifying 
him ; and the knowledge of this truth was absolutely neces- 
sary, that they might see that their own dispensation was 
then passing away. Accordingly, we find from the Acts of 
the Apostles, that when the apostles preached to the Jews, 
they insisted particularly on this single point — ihat Jesus 
was the Messiah. And what the apostle in this place 
intended to testify to his hearers, (who by the way were a 
congregation of Jejt'.s), doubtless was something more than 
that Jesus v/as a Christ — an anointed one. He meant to 
tell them that Jesus was the Christ ; — the true Messiah fore- 
told by the prophets ; Jehovah's anointed One, by way of 
eminence, and superiority to all others. (Ps. xlv, 7.) And 
as he meant to tell them so, he did tell them so ; for in the 
original it is o X^ijroj, the Christ. As the definite article is 
used in the Greek, it ought not to be omitted in our version. 
This clause, then, translated literally and exactly, would 
run thus : — "This Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is the 
Christ." And how important it is to contend earnestly for 
this doctrine in these days, since there are now so many, 
not only among Jews, but among Gentiles also, who deny 
the Lord that bought them ! 



1 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 71 

ROMANS. 

Chapter 1, Verse 17. 

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from 
faith to faith ; as it is written, the just shall live by faith." 

By " the righteousness of God," in this place, seems 
to be intended God's method of making sinners righteous ; 
or, in other words, his method of justifying and saving sig- 
ners. Such is evidently the import of this phrase, as used 
in several other parts of this epistle. (8ee particularly ch^ 
iii, 21 — 27, and x, 3 — 5.) But what is to be understood by 
the expression, " revealed from faith to faith 1" The word 
"f'^Ti? (faith) sometimes signifies fidelthj or faithjulness^ as 
in Rom. iii> 3 : Titus ii, 10 : in which last place it is also 
rendered fidelity. This word, as we see, occurs twice in 
this place — " revealed from faith to faith." In the first in- 
stance, it seems to denote an important object of our faith 
or belief, viz. the faithfulness of God ; and in the last, that 
internal act or exercise of the creature, which we usually 
call faith. In a v/orv!, the general import of this verse ap- 
pears to be, that in the gospej, God, from or in the exercise 
of his faithful nes?r; revealeth to our faith his glorious right- 
eousness, i. e. bis method of justifying and saving sinners. 
This He, in the gospel, revealeth to our fnith, as an object 
to be believed by us. It is only by faith in this righteous- 
ness that we can live — be justified and saved here, and be 
entitled to eternal life hereafter. 

Chap, ti, 5. 

*' But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest 
up unto thyself vv'rath against the day of wrath, and revela- 
tion of the righteous judgment of God." 

It hence appears, that the purpose for which the day of 
judgment and its investigations have been appointed, is not 
that the supreme Judge m^y find out what the character and 
conduct of men and angels have been ; (these he knew 
before) ; but it is that He may reveal to the assembled uni- 
verse the reasonableness and rectitude of his moral govern- 
ment ; that He may show, make it manifest, that both in 
the dispensations of his providence, and in the kingdom of 
grace, He, the Judge of all the earth, has done and will then 



72 CRITICAL AND 

do rightly, towards and with all created moral agents ; that, 
in short, the day of judgment is appointed for his sake as 
well as theirs ; to illustrate and vindicate his own character, 
in those irreversible sentences which will then be passed 
upon all his accountable creatures. 

Chap, iv, 4, 5. 

" Now, to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned 
of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but be- 
lieveth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is count- 
ed for righteousness." 

Religious works are of two kinds, works of the law, and 
works of faith ; or, as they are sometimes called, works le- 
gal, and works evangelical. Now, working of the first sort 
is intended by St. Paul, in these verses ; as appears from 
the circumstance, that the working here mentioned is oppo- 
sed to believing, which is itself, in a certain sense, a work ; 
for, " This is the work of God, said Christ, that ye believe 
on him whom he hath sent." (John vi, 29.) But it is an 
evangelical work ; it is not performed with th<e view or ex- 
pectation of meriting any thing by it. The meaning of St. 
Paul, therefore, was as if he had said — ' To him that work- 
eth on legal principles, the reward, in case there were any, 
would be of course considered as a debt. But to him that 
worketh not, i. e. on legal principles, but believeth on him 
that justifieth the ungodly; that seeks justification, not by 
works but from mere grjice through faith, his faith is counted 
for righteousness.' Surely, nothing could have been further 
from the apostle's meaning in these words, than to assert, 
either that a true believer does not work at all, or that the 
final reward of such an one will be a reward of debt. 

Verse 11. 

*' And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the 
righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircum- 
cised ; that he might be the father of all them that believe, 
though they be not circumcised ; that righteousness might 
be imputed to them also." 

I would here propose it as a query, whether commentators 
in general have hit on the true, or rather the full meaning of 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 73 

one particular in this most instructive passage. It is here 
said, " Abraham received the sign of circumcision, &c. 
that he might be the father of all them that believe." Abra- 
ham is, accordingly, often called the father of believers, and 
doubtless in reference to the phraseology used in this verse. 
But the question is, in what sense is Abraham the father of 
believers, of all them that believe 1 The very prevalent, and 
probably the general sentiment, is, that he is their father by 
virtue of his pre-eminent faith. The justness of this senti- 
ment, abstractedly considered, is not denied. But was this 
the truth chiefly intended by the apostle in this place 1 As 
the words before us are an exact translation of the original, 
they maybe safely depended on, and should be carefully at- 
tended to. " He received the sign of circumcision, a seal, 
&c. that he might be the father of all them that believe." 
(See a similar phrase used in verse 18.) Now, does not 
this show, that Abraham's receiving of circumcision, was in 
order that he might be the father of all believers ; and does 
it not imply, that he would not have been their father, in the 
sense here intended, if he had not received circumcision ? 
Does it not show, that- as he was the first who received that 
rite, so it was his receiving it that constituted him their fa- 
ther ; and that of course he became the father of all believ- 
ers, not so much by his faith, as by covenant relation, and 
by receiving the external sign of that covenant ; that he 
thereby became their /ederaZ father, or their father by fede- 
ral relation 1 Such is surely the nost natural interpretation 
of the words, as they stand in our version ; and, as has been 
before remarked, they are correctly translated. Now, then, 
for the consequence of this, or for the practical bearing of it 
on a very important subject. If Abraham became, by cir- 
cumcision, the federal father of all believers ; in other words, 
if he sustains a covenant relation to them all, then of course 
they all sustain a covenant relation to him. That the Jews 
ought not to be considered as the only persons interested in 
this covenant relation, appears from the apostle's saying, 
" that he might be the father of all them that believe, though 
they be not circumcised ,*" i. e. not of the believing Jews 
only, but of the believing Gentiles also ; for these last are 
the only persons to whom the words " not circumcised," ara 

7 



74 CRITICAL AND 

applicable ; all the members of the Jewish Church having 
been circumcised. I repeat the sentiment, that it may be 
the more carefully remembered. If Abraham be the cove- 
nant father, the federal head of all believers, Gentile as well 
as Jewish, then all such believers must be in covenant re- 
lation to him. The discerning reader will instantly see the 
bearing of this inference on the pedobaptist controversy. If 
this scripture has been rightly interpreted, it affords strong- 
er evidence than has been usually imagined, of the continu- 
ed existence of the Abrahamic covenant, and, by necessary 
consequence, of the propriety, duty, and privilege, of infant 
baptism. 

Chap, v, 7. 

" For scarcely for a righteous man will one die ; yet per- 
adventure for a good man some would even dare to die.'' 

But why not be as willing to die for the one as for the 
other ; for are they not both one and the same character 1 In 
reply it may be observed, that as the righteous man and the 
good man are here manifestly contrasted to each other, so, in 
the judgment of St. Paul, an inspired apostle, they must have 
been separate and different beings. It is evident, also, from 
the manner in which they are here compared — from the 
greater sacrifice which he here supposes one would be will- 
ing to make for the good man than for the righteous man — 
that the good man was considered as the more excellent and 
estimable character. It is granted, that in many parts of 
scripture, the term righteous, as applied to men, denotes 
genuine, evangelical piety. But it cannot be so here. By 
the "righteous man," therefore, seems intended a moral 
many or at best one who is blameless touching the righteous- 
ness which is of the law ; and by the good man, one of 
positive and eminent worth and usefulness. 

Verse 12. 

" And so death passed upon all men ; for that all 

have sinned." 

Expositors have not agreed in their interpretations of this 
passage. The original may be translated either thus : — * On 
which, whereupon, for that, because, all have sinned ;* or 
thus : ' In whom all have sinned ;' for the Greek relative 



EXPLA.NATORY NOTES. 75 

pronoun here used is the same, in both the masculine and 
neuter genders, and therefore may refer either to the person, 
i. e. to the *' one man," mentioned in the first part of this 
verse, or to the thing, reason, cause — cause of the event 
mentioned immediately before, viz. death's passing upon all 
men. Some expositors, as Witsius, Henry, &c. say, *' In 
whom (i. e. Adam) all have sinned." This interpretation 
implies something more, than that we became sinful in con- 
sequence of Adam's transgression. It implies, and directly 
means, that we sinned in and loith him, or that his sin was 
so imputed to us, as to be reckoned our sin ; so that we are 
chargeable with the guilt, and liable to the punishment of it, 
as much as if we personally had committed it. But perhaps 
it would be sufficient, if, instead of saying that Adam's de- 
scendants are guilty of his personal act, in eating the forbid- 
den fruit, we should say only, that they become sinful in 
consequence of that act, and by virtue of a divine constitution, 
which connected their moral character and state with the 
conduct of their federal head, while he was on probation in 
paradise. The author prefers, on the whole, the first of the 
above mentioned versions of this text, viz : " On which, for 
that, or because, all have sinned." He supposes that the 
apostle, in this verse, designed simply to give us an account 
of the origin of sin and death in our world, and that his true 
meaning herein may bo cApj-^ssed in the following para- 
phrase, viz :-' Wherefore, as through or by means of one man, 
Adam, sin entered into the world, and death entered at first, 
by, through, or in consequence of sin ; even so now, death 
passes upon or must befall all men, for that or because all 
'. have sinned.' This interpretation, it is true, implies that 
temporal death is the direct consequence, fruit, or eflfect, of 
personal sinning, or personal sinfulness only, and not of the 
sins of any other one. And that this also is a true senti- 
ment, appears from Ezek. xviii, 20. 

Verse 14. 
' " Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even 
' over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's 
' transgression." 
■ The persons here intended are probably infants. Of 



76 CRITICAL AND 

them it may properly be said, that they have not sinned after 
the similitude of Adam's transgression ; i. e. they have not 
committed actual sin, nor have they sinned wilfully and de- 
liberately, as he did. Another interpretation, however, of 
the phrase, ''that had not sinned after the similitude of Ad- 
am's transgression," is proposed by Rosenmuller, viz. that 
it denotes actual transgressors ; but then not such as Adam 
was. Adam sinned against a -positive, express law of God ; 
but these sinned only against the law of nature, and so not 
as Adam did. Which of these interpretations is the best, 
let the reader judge. 

Chap, vi, 17. 

" But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin ; 
but ye have obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine 
which was delivered you." 

As to the first part of this verse, it is evident that the word 
whereas, or although, is to be understood ; thus : — " God be 
thanked, that although ye were once the servants of sin, ye 
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine," &c. ; 
for, surely, it is very absurd to suppose that the benevolent 
soul of the apostle would have rejoiced, or been thankful, 
merely because his Roman converts had once been sinful, 
and of course miserable. In respect to the last clause, it 
must be observed, that exactly translated, it would read 
thus : — " Ye have obeyed from the hcait, that fumi of doc- 
trine into winch ye have been delivered.''^ The language is 
metaphorical, and highly expressive. It alludes to melted 
metals being cast into their respective moulds. As these 
metals, in consequence of being cast into their moulds, as- 
sume of course a shape, a configuration, similar to that of 
the moulds themselves ; so it is with the souls of believers. 
They are cast, as it were, into the mould of the gospel, and 
are moulded accordingly. " How forcible are right words," 
even " the words which the Holy Ghost teachethi" 

Chap, viii, 16. 

" The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that w6 
are the children of God." 

Whether this scripture ought to be considered as " hard 
to be understood," or not, it is undeniable that by many it 



BXPLANATORY NOTES. 77 

l^as not been understood rightly. I refer to the witness of 
the Spirit, here mentioned. This has been understood by 
some to mean a certain impulse on, or suggestion to the 
mind, (and perhaps both an inexpressible and unaccountable 
one), that the person receiving it is a child of God., But 
if we carefully attend to the sense in which the word witness 
is commonly used in the sacred scriptures, we shall find it 
is not in this sense. See as specimens, John v, 36 — " But 
I have greater witness than that of John ; for the works 
which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works 
that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me." 
Acts xiv, 3 — '^ Long time, therefore, abode they speaking 
boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony (or bore witness) 
to the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to 
be done by their hands." lb. verse 17 — " Nevertheless, 
He left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and 
gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our 
hearts with food and gladness." In all these passages the 
word witness is evidently used as denoting proo/ — evidence. 
In the same, or in a similar sense, is this word to be under- 
stood in the verse before us. The idea is, that the Spirit 
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of 
God ; not by some sudden and unaccountable suggestion, 
or impulse, or immediate revelation ; but by affording us 
evidence, proof of the matter ; evidence of a far different 
kind from such impulse, suggestion, or immediate revela- 
tion; evidence arising from the habitual temper of our 
minds and tenor of our practice. This evidence, or witness, 
is then the strongest, when the Spirit of God, acting accord- 
ing to his own holy nature upon our souls, remarkably pro- 
duces and stirs up within us those holy affections, which are 
the genuine fruits of the Spirit. These constitute his wit- 
ness or testimony ; and it is then, particularly and eminently, 
that the believer hath this two-fold witness of his adoption — 
the *' witness in himself," and the " witness of God, which 
is greater." Have we any thing of this witness t 

Chap, ix, 1 — 4. 
" I say the truth in Christ ; I lie not ; my conscience also 
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great 

7* 



78 CRITICAL AND 

heaviness, and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could 
wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, 
my kinsmen according to the flesh." 

The third verse, especially, requires explanation. It has 
been understood by some, and by some distinguished di- 
vines too, to mean that St. Paul was willing to be eternally 
damned, for the sake of the salvation of his countrymen the 
Jews. If, indeed, such was his spirit, and if his design in 
this place was to declare it, one of these two conclusions is 
inevitable. Either, 1, St. Paul did not feel rightly — to say 
the least, felt enthusiastically, at that time ; or 2, such is the 
spirit of true Christianity and of true Christians, especially 
of eminent Christians, like St. Paul ; ihey also, not only 
ought to feel willing, but do feel willing, to be eternally 
damned, if thereby they may be made the means of saving 
their fellow sinners ; and such ought to be the spirit of every 
Christian, and must be, so far as he is actuated by true chris- 
tian benevolence. And of course, this may properly be 
assumed and used as a test of christian character, as in fact 
it has been by some, viz : ' Am I willing, are you willing, 
to be eternally damned for the glory of God, and for the sal- 
vation of our fellow sinners V The author has not at present 
any concern at all with this general question, otherwise than 
as it may be affected by this text of scripture, which he will 
endeavor to explain in the best manner he can. It would 
be of great use, in enabling us to get at the apostle's real 
meaning in these words, if we could only first determine with 
certainty to what period and state of his Hfe he here refers ; 
v/hether he here meant to tell us what his views and feeHngs 
were before his conversion to Christianity, or ajhrwards. 
The general opinion, no doubt, is, that he here meant to tell 
us what was his state of mind after his conversion, and when 
he wrote this epistle. But 1st, Some learned divines (of 
whom Dr. Dwight was one) have thought differently. In 
support of their opinions they alledge, and alledge truly, that 
the verb rivx'^M^, here used, is in the imperfect tense of the 
indicative mood, and therefore signifies exactly, '*I did 
wish," i. e. while a Pharisee. These divines think also, that 
the sentence which is the occasion of the whole difficulty, 
ought to be considered as only parenthetical. Says Dwight, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 79 

(ser. 95 of his Theology), " The words rendered /or I could 
loish that myself iv ere accursed from Christ, ought to be in- 
cluded, as they plainly were intended to be, in a parenthesis." 
The whole would then read thus :— " I say the truth in Christ ; 
I lie not ; my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy 
Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in 
my heart (for I also did wish that myself were accursed from 
Christ) for my brethren, my kinsmen accordifig to the flesh." 
According to this reading, the phrase, " accursed from 
Christ," whatever may be intended by it, has no reference 
to Paul's brethren the Jews, as though he had ever wished 
to be accursed from Christ for them, or on their account ; 
but the whole sentence included in the parenthesis, is design- 
ed only to give the reason of what he here so solemnly 
declares, viz. that he had great heaviness, and continual 
sorrow of heart, for that people. Or, in other words, ac- 
cording to this reading, the meaning of the whole is, that 
St. Paul experienced great mental distress on account of his 
brethren the Jews, in view of their deplorable state of unbe- 
lief, and hardness of heart, and violent opposition to Christ 
and to Christianity. He could, and he did, feel deeply for 
them on this account, from his own experience ; because 
he himself had been in the same state, when he was " a blas- 
phemer, and a persecutor, and injurious ;" but he had been 
since enlightened, to see the guilt, misery, and danger at- 
tending that state. He also did once, as they did then, wish 
to be accursed — separated from Christ. This interpreta- 
tion I mention, merely, as one which has been given by 
some able divines. Even Dr. Scott, though in the body of 
his Notes he gives a different one ; yet in his critical re- 
marks appended to the Notes, in the last edition of his 
Commentary, renders the verb ^p-x^o^riv in the past tense of 
the indicative, and says, " this appears to me the most literal 
and natural construction of the clause ;" though he propo- 
ses it, he says, " with great hesitation." But, 2dly, If this 
scheme of interpretation should be discarded ; if the verb 
^^X^M^f though really in the past tense of the indicative, 
must here be construed as though it were in the Greek op- 
tative mood, and so signify, " I could wish," which is possi- 
ble, (as instances of a similar kind sometimes occur) ; if the 



80 CRITICAL AND 

clause before mentioned ought not to be included in a pa- 
renthesis, and so be considered as an independent sentence, 
but must be construed as in immediate connection with what 
follows in the same verse ; and if the apostle must be un- 
derstood as expressing his benevolent views and feelings in 
respect to the Jews, not while he was a Pharisee, but after 
his conversion to Christianity, and at the time he wrote this 
epistle ; still, there is no need of supposing that he here 
meant to declare in so solemn a manner, his wilUngness to 
be eternally damned for their salvation. Let us examine 
the passage a little more closely. 

First, let us inquire what we are to understand by the 
word accursed, in this place ? Now, the word in the original 
is a noun — dva^Sjxa, denoting in general a person or thing 
accursed, separated to destruction ; not however always, 
perhaps not commonly, to destruction in a future world. 
" This word in the Septuagint, always answers to the He- 
brew CHEREM, which in like manner denotes, in general, 
total separation from a former state or condition, and par- 
ticularly, either things or persons devoted to destruction,^^ 
(Parkhurst.) I may add, that temporal destruction only, is 
the most that the word cherem signifies usually, perhaps in 
every instance of its occurrence in the Hebrew bible. Let 
the Hebrew scholar examine, among a vast multitude of 
other passages, Deut. vii, 26 : Josh, vi, 17, 18, and vii, 12. 

Next, let us inquire into the meaning of the preposition 
from, (Greek, aico), as used in this passage. Now, this 
word, in the original, sometimes signifies after the example 
of as in 2 Tim. i, 3 — " I thank God, whom I serve from 
my forefathers ;" i. e. after the example of my forefathers. 
From these remarks, it is evident, that the meaning of the 
apostle, in this so much controverted passage, maij he, at 
most, only this, viz. that for his brethren's sake — for the 
promotion of their eternal good — he was willing to be ac- 
cursed, or devoted to destruction, after the example of 
Christ ; i. e. to suffer as he suffered, to be reproached, per- 
secuted, excommunicated, or even crucified, as Christ was, 
if thereby he might be made the means of saving his brethren 
the Jews. Yea, on supposition that he here expresses his 
state of mind while a Christian, (as is commonly supposed), 



iiXPLANATORY NOTES. 81 

and not while he was a Pharisee, such, it is believed, must 
be his meaning, and nothing more. The damnation of the 
future world includes unrestrained and everlasting enmity 
against God, as well as mental remorse and corporeal pain. 
And could St. Paul, who loved God supremely, have felt 
willing — can any real saint feel willing — to be eternally an 
enemy to Him 1 Whether, therefore, St. Paul should be un- 
derstood as expressing his state of mind before or after his 
conversion, it is manifest that there is no necessity of con- 
cluding that he had here any reference at all to future pun- 
ishment. 

Chap, xi, 24. 

" For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree, which is wild 
by nature, and wert graffed, contrary to nature, into a good 
olive tree," &c. 

In this chapter, in the context especially, the apostle is 
treating of the future restoration and conversion of the 
Jews, and of their incorporation with the Gentiles, or rather 
of the Gentiles' incorporation with them, in an ecclesiastical 
connection. The Jews and the Gentiles are represented 
by the metaphor of olive-trees. The Jewish church is said 
to be the good olive-tree ; and the Gentiles, in their pagan 
state, are called the wild olive-tree. The apostle, speaking 
to the Roman Gentiles, says, '* Thou wert oit out of the 
olive-tree, which is wild by nature, and wert graffed, con- 
trary to nature, into a good olive-tree." This language, 
when divested of all metaphor, evidently means, that the 
Roman Gentiles had been taken out of their wild, barren, 
pagan state, or had been delivered from it, and had become 
incorporated with the real and fruitful church of God ; i. e, 
with God's ancient church, which had been, in essence, con- 
tinued under the christian dispensation. But let us attend 
more particularly to the phraseology of the apostle, in verse 
24th, that we may see how instructive, and how impressive 
it is. Now, there is herein an evident allusion to the cus- 
tom so frequent, as well in ancient as in modern times, of 
grafting fruit trees. But the particular object of our present 
attention, is the manner in which the apostle describes the 
grafting of the Gentiles into the stock of God's ancient Isra* 
el. This, he says, was " contrary to nature*" 



82 CRITICAL AND 

1. The grafting itself was contrary to nature and custom. 
For when^men graft their trees, their design uniformly is to 
improve their fruit ; not only to make the same tree more 
fruitful, but also to cause it to produce better fruit than it 
did before. Thus, a scion of a good apple-tree is grafted 
into a crab apple-tree ; but the contrary is not true. Men 
do not, unless infatuated, or prompted by the mere curiosity 
of making an useless experiment, graft the scion of a crab- 
ti"ee into a genuine and good apple-tree. In short, the scion 
grafted in is always considered as superior in quality to the 
old stock into which it is grafted. But it was not so in the case 
before us. The Roman Gentiles were cut out of the wild 
olive-tree. They were the scion of a very bad tree, of a 
tree that bore no fruit except wild fruit ; and as such were 
grafted into a good olive-tree, a tree unspeakably better than 
the parent stock of that scion. There was something, 
therefore, in the grafting itself, which was contrary to na- 
ture. 

2. The consequence^ also, of this grafting, was contrary 
to nature. For after the scion or branch of one tree is 
grafted into another, it still bears the fruit of the parent 
stock ; but it is not so here. The Gentiles, after their in- 
grafting into the good olive-tree, bore the fruit, not of their 
parent stock, not of their old wilrl olive, but of the good ol- 
ive-tree into which theij were grafted. How instructive and 
impressive, then, is the expression, " graffed contrary to na- 
ture," when abstractedly considered ! But it ought not to be 
considered in this manner merely ; for it has an important 
bearing on a very important subject. This verse, taken 
even by itself, and especially in connection with the whole 
paragraph, teaches the essential identity of the two church- 
es — the Jewish and the Christian ; or rather, the essential 
identity of the church of God under the Jewish and Chris-, 
tian dispensations. More directly still, it teaches the glo- 
rious excellency of this church under the former dispensa- 
tion. From this passage, and from the whole context, it is 
evident that the Jewish church was not a mere civil com- 
munity, nor merely an ecclesiastico-political society, as 
some choose to call it ; but a real church of the living God ; 
2- good olive-tree, fair, and of goodly fruit. (See Jer. xij 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. Sh 

16.) Such, surely, it was in reppect to its constitution, and 
the divine requirements of all its members, whatever may 
have been, from time to time, the real character and con» 
duct of most of its members. 

Chap, xiv, 5. 

" One man esteemeth one day above another ; another 
esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persua- 
ded in his own mind." 

How often has this scripture been misunderstood and mis- 
applied ! How often has it been quoted in self-justification, 
by those who would not " remember the Sabbath day, to 
keep it holy !" How often have such persons referred to it, 
to show that even St. Paul considered it as a matter of indif- 
ference whether any weekly Sabbath were observed by 
Christians, and by people under the christian dispensation, 
or not ; or to show, at least, that St. Paul would have every 
man's practice, as to this matter, regulated by his own pri- 
vate opinion, whatever that might happen to be, relative to a 
weekly christian Sabbath ! But, from the connection, it is 
very evident that the text before us refers not at all to the 
Lord's day, or to a weekly Sabbath ; but solely to certain 
ceremonially holy days. It should be remembered that the 
church at Rome was composed partly of Jews, or of those, 
who, with many remaining Jewish prejudices, yet believed 
in Jesus as the Messiah, and partly of Gentiles. The Jew- 
ish part being still "zealous of the law," were for observing, 
in distinction from other days, their neiv moons, their various 
feast days, &c. But the Gentile part believed that the dif- 
ference in respect to sanctity, which had previously existed 
between those days and other week days, was annihilated, 
when Jesus expired on the cross. Hence, then, we have 
the true and the only meaning of the apostle's declaration — 
** One man esteemeth one day above another ; another es- 
teemeth every day alike." 

Verse 6. 
" He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God 
thanks ; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not» 
and giveth God thanks." 



S4 CRITICAL AND 

To understand this passage, the above remark, respecting 
the component parts of the Roman church, must be remember- 
ed. The Jewish part of that church conscientiously abstained 
from the use of certain meats^ on the supposition that they were 
unclean, according to the decisions of the Mosaic ritual law. 
The Gentiles, on the contrary, believed that " to the pure, 
all things were pure.'^ They had no scruples as to the law- 
fulness and propriety of partaking of those same meats, and 
accordingly did partake of them as freely as of any others. 
Now, the apostle here supposes and teaches, that both these 
sorts of persons acted conscientiously, and according to the 
light they had ; though, of course, they both could not have 
been correct in their views relative to this subject, because 
they herein differed from each other. At the same time, the 
error in question was one of comparatively small impor- 
tance, and not such as could of itself prevent the acceptance 
of either party with their God. And the sentiment which 
the apostle meant to express in this place, is manifestly this, 
viz : — * Those who ate those meats, ate them *' to the 
Lord," with a view to his glory, giving him thanks for the 
same, and for their'christian liberty ; and those who abstain- 
ed therefrom did it in like manner, " to the Lord," and from 
a self-denying regard to what they believed to be his will ; 
while, at the same time, they gave him thanks for the bless- 
ings which they ciid enjoy.' 

Verse 22. 
"Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God." 
How often has this passage been misunderstood, and 
even perverted to a bad purpose, by such as were "unskil- 
ful in the word of righteousness," and wished, perhaps, for 
some excuse to justify themselves in the neglect of duty, 
and were unwilling to acknowledge their accountability to 
God, and to his people, for their faith and practice. Our 
faith, say they, (whatever it may be), ought to be a person- 
al concern, or at most, a concern between ourselves and our 
God only ; for St. Paul says, " Hast thou faith ? have it to 
thyself before God," Sometimes this passage has been 
perverted in another way, equally, or perhaps much more 
dangerous and destructive. It has been understood, it 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 85 

seems, by some, as relating to experimental religion, and as 
a sort of ^divine prohibition for them to say much, if any 
thing, to others, about the state of their minds, as it respects 
conyiction of sin, or those various moral exercises which 
are peculiar to the new-born soul. These, say they, are 
matters betwee,n us and our God only. But it is certain 
that such persons misunderstand St. Paul, in this passage. 
For it is evident from the connection, that the faith he here 
intends, is a faith relative to the same matters which had 
been already mentioned, such as days, meats, &c. St. 
Paul's meaning was, that those of the Roman church, who 
believed that there was such an important difference between 
those days, meats, &c. as that some of them were holy, and 
some unholy, should keep this their faith to themselves, and 
not trouble with it those of their brethren who thought dif- 
ferently, and who had equally with themselves the right of 
private judgment. It would be well in these days, if the 
spirit and meaning of this advice were more regarded hj 
different Christians, in respect to those non-essential points 
in which they differ from each other. 



I. CORINTHIANS. 



Chapter i, Yerse 26. 

" For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not marjy 
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, 
are called." 

There is nothing in the original which answers to the 
words are called, which words are accordingly printed m 
italics in our English version. Some suppose, therefore, 
and not without reason, from the connection, that the active 
verb call would be as proper, or rather more so ; and that 
{he apostle's reference in this passage was not to the subjects 
or recipients of the divine calling, but to the instruments, hy 
or through whom the Corinthians had been called. In brief, 
the precise meaning of the apostle appears to be, as if he 
had said ; * Ye see the manner of your calling, brethren ; i. e. 
ye see loho they are that call you to the faith and fellowship 
of the gospel. Evidently, they are not men of worldly wis- 

8 



86 CRITICAL AND 

dom and persuasive eloquence ; not the mighty ones of the 
earth ; not those of noble birth. Such are not the persons 
whom God hath sent to call you. No ; but for this purpose 
he hath sent us, who are dionsidered by the world as weak, 
foolish, base, and despicable.' The whole context seems 
to justify and require this interpretation. (See particularly 
verses 25, 27, 28, 29.) It is undoubtedly true, that not 
many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many 
noble, are effectually called to glory and virtue here, and to 
eternal life hereafter ; but this does not appear to have been 
the truth intendv^d by the apostle in this place. 

Chap, ii, 9, 10. 

*' But as it is v/ritten, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard ; 
neither have entered into the heart of man the things which 
God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath 
revealed them unto us by his Spirit." 

To understand these verses correctly, we must consider 
them in connection with each other, and with the context. 
It will hence appear, that the word mmi, in the 9th verse. 
does not denote man in the generical sense — not what we 
intend by the term mankind, especially when this term is 
understood in its most absolute and extensive sense, as de- 
noting the human race universally, and without exception. 
The apostle did not mean that none of the human race had 
ever seen and heard, and in some measure understood, the 
things which God had prepared for them that love himo 
From the context it is evident, that by man, in this passage, 
the apostle meant man as unenlightened by a special, divine 
revelation, and as of course unrenewed and carnal. The 
apostle's meaning was, that though such a man had not seen, 
nor heard, and could not properly conceive, of " the good of 
God's chosen," as disclosed in the great plan of redemp- 
tion, and reserved in heaven for them ; yet to the saints 
generally, and to the apostles particularly and eminently, 
this glorious subject had been revealed by the Spirit. 

Chap, hi, 13. 
*' Every man's work shall be made manifest ; for the day 
shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire ; and 
the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 87 

What can be the meaning of this last clause, '' and the 
lire shall try every man's work of what sort it is V It is 
conceded, I beheve, universally, and it is certainly true, 
that the word Jire is here used not literally, but figuratively. 
The effects produced by literal or material fire may be com- 
prehended in these two, viz. purification and destruction. 
Of the things specified in the context, some are tried and 
purified by fire, as gold and silver ; some are destroyed by 
it, as wood, hay, and stubble. In similar ways do fiery tri- 
als (1 Pet. iv, 12) operate ; and correspondent to these are 
the effects they produce on different persons. On some 
persons their effect is to make them the '■'■ vessels of mercy 
fitted for their Master's use" here, and for glory hereafter. 
Some they prepare for destruction. The fire intended in 
this passage, may be, in part, the fire of persecution, which, 
in figurative language, maybe called eminently a fiery tria . 
But the day of judgment is particularly referred to, as ap- 
pears from the preceding part of this same verse : — " Every 
man's work shall be made manifest; for f/j-e c^ax/ shall de- 
clare it, because it shall be revealed by fire." That will 
indeed be a day of purification to the righteous, and of de- 
struction to the wicked, and of fiery trial to all. (See Mal- 
achi iv, 1.) Let us then seriously inquire who of us can 
abide the scrutinies of that day. O, '' who (of us) may 
abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when He 
appearethi" 

Chap, iv, 4. 

" For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby 
justified ; but he that judgeth me is the Lord." 

What could the apostle have meant in saying, " I know 
nothing by myself ; yet am I not hereby justified ?" The 
general sentiment Paul meant here to express, must have 
been as follows, viz : that though he knew nothing of evil, 
by, in, or with himself; i. e. though he was not conscious 
to himself of guilt in the commission of any known sin, or in 
the omission of any known duty, whether as a Christian or 
as an apostle ; yet he could not be hereby justified before 
God. If justification could be either absolutely, or, as it 
were, by the deeds of the law, still, on that ground, some- 
thing more than a negative righteousness would be necessa- 



88 CRITICAL AND 

ry. Pre-eminently then is this the case, on the ground of 
that divine economy which requires faith, in order to justifi- 
cation ; which declares that to the believing sinner, "his 
faith is counted for righteousness," and which wholly ex- 
cludes our own legal righteousness from having any agency 
in justifying us before God. 

Terse 15. 

" For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ ; 
yet have ye not many fathers." 

The word in the Greek is 'rraidciyuyog, rendered in Gal. iii, 
24, a schoolmaster. Such were the instructors here refer- 
red to by the apostle. The word, in its original and literal 
import, denoted those persons "to whom the care of the boys 
of a family was committed, v/ho trained them up and formed 
their manners, attended them at their play, instructed them 
at home, accompanied them to and from the public school, 
and when they had grown up, became their companions." 
(See Robinson's Greek Lexicon.) In general, they were 
not only very attentive to their pupils, but at times very se- 
vere also. Hence the propriety of applying this term to the 
Jewish law, as the apostle does, in Gal, iii, 24. Hence, 
also, we may discern the contrast, or tha diflerence, which, 
in the text before us, the apostle meant to express, between 
those numerous instructors or pedagogues and himself, in 
respect to the benefit which the church at Galatia had re- 
ceived from them respectively, and in respect to the spirit, 
the temper of mind, which they on the one hand, and he on 
the other, had exercised towards the members of that church. 
He had been their spiritual father, having begotten them 
through the gospel ; bat none of them had been such ; and 
as a father, he exercised towards them that tender feeling, 
which was the direct counterpart to that severity which those 
Jewish instructors, that desired to be teachers of the law, 
as the way of justification and salvation, had exercised and 
manifested, and which the very nature of the Jewish ritual 
was so well calculated to cherish. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 89 

Chap, v, 11. 

^•' But now I have written unto you, not to keep company; 
if any man that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or cove- 
tous, or an idolator, or^ a railer, or a drunkard, or an extor- 
tioner ; with such a one no not to eat." 

The eating here prohibited appears to be eating at com- 
mon meals, in distinction from eating at the Lord's table ; 
for, 

1. The very phraseology here used seems to require this 
interpretation. The apostle's direction, in respect to the 
treatment of this corrupt person, was two-fold — general and 
particular. The general direction was, " not to keep com- 
pany" with him. The particular direction was, " no, not to 
eat." Now here is evidently a descent from the greater to 
the less. From the very phraseology of the apostle, then, 
it appears that the least or lowest kind of association and 
intercourse is here intended. But certainly, eating at the 
Lord's table is one of the highest expressions and acts 
of christian intercourse and communion ; or rather the very 
highest, in some respects, that ever takes place here on earth. 

2. That eating at common meals is here intended, ap- 
pears "yet far more evident," from comparing the passage 
with Mat. xviii, 17 ; a text, which, equally with the one now 
under consideration, relates to a professing Christian, or to 
a man that once was such, and in good standing in the 
church ; but who has since, for his sins, been disov/ned by 
the church, and excluded from their communion. Christ's 
direction in this last passage is — " If he neglect to hear the 
church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publi- 
can." It is well known that the Jews, in our Lord's time, 
would not eat at commion meals with publicans, and sinnersj 
and heathens. They considered it as wrong so to do- 
Hence they found fault with Christ, because that though a 
Jew, he ate v/ith publicans and sinners. Nov/, as the cor- 
rupt, and irreclaimable, and excommunicated brother, was 
to be treated as an heathen man and a publican, i. e. as the 
Jews treated heathens and publicans, and as the Jews would 
not eat with them at common meals ; so the course to be 
pursued by church members, in respect to excommunicated 
persons, seems plain, viz : that they ought not (in ordinary 

8* 



90 CRITICAL AND 

cases) even to eat with them at common meals, until they 
repent and return to duty. I say, in ordinary cases ; be- 
cause there are exceptions to this rule, in favor of near rela- 
tives and connections, as husbands and wives, parents, 
children, &c. For in their case, prior obhgations exist; 
obligations arising from their peculiar relation to each other; 
obligations, too, which Christianity never was designed to 
cancel, but rather to illustrate and enforce. 

Chap, vi, 4. 

"If, then, ye have judgments of things pertaining to 
this life, set them to judge, who are least esteemed in the 
church." 

The inquiry is, who are meant by those hast esteemed in 
the church ? It should be observed, that the original word 
here rendered least esteemed, properly signifies despised. 
Accordingly, it is sometimes rendered despised ; sometimes ' 
set at "nought. (See Luke xviii, 9, andxxiii, 11: Rom. ■; 
xiv, 3 : Acts iv, 11.) In short, in other passages where it" 
occurs, it usually conveys a bad meaning, and is at the same 
time strongly expressive of that meaning. It appears, at 
any rate, a very improper word to be applied by Christians 
to their christian brethren. For this reason, as well as from 
the general scope of the context, it is presumable, that by 
the least esteemed or despised, St. Paul intended heathen 
magistrates. Accordingly, by Whitby and some of the best 
critics, and in Griesbach's edition of the New Testament, 
this verse is read interrogatively, thus : — " If, then, ye have' 
judgments of things pertaining to this life, do ye set them to 
judge who are least esteemed in the churdi'?" And this ap- , 
pears well to suit the main argument of the apostle. For 
ill the context, he treats upon the subject of Christians going 
to law one with another, and reprove^ them, if not absolutely 
for going to law, yet for going to law before wibelieverSy i. e. 
unbelieving magistrates. (Verses 1 — 6.) He argues from 
the greater to the less, thus : — ' If the saints are counted wor- 
thy to judge the world, and angels too, i. e. to be assessors 
with Christ in the general judgment ; then, certainly, they 
jirc qualified to judge upon and decide worldly matters.' 
And in verse 5th, he expresses his astonishment and regret, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 91 

that there should not be a wise man among them, who should 
be able to judge between his brethren, in their unhappy dif- 
ferences and disputes about worldly matters. And as in 
verse 4th, he is evidently upon the same subject, and admin- 
istering the sarne reproof; so it would be very natural to 
understand him here as saying, ' If, then, ye have judgments 
of things pertaining to this life, do ye indeed set heathen 
magistrates to judge ; those who are least esteemed in or 
by the church ; men, who, as to their moral characters, are 
generally least esteemed, and often despicable V The main 
point at which the apostle aimed, in the whole of this expos- 
tulation, was to prevent the Corinthians from going to law 
with one another before heathen magistrates, and to prevail 
on them to refer their differences to an arbitration of their 
christian brethren for adjustment. 

Chap, vii, 14. 

'' For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife ; 
and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband ; else 
were your children unclean ; but now are they holy." 

Our chief concern, at present, is with the last clause of 
this verse, " Else were your children unclean ; but now are 
ihey holy," What can be the meaning of this expression? 
Especially, what did the apostle intend by the term holy in 
this place ? To prepare the way for an answer, it should be 
observed, that in the Greek language, (wherein the New 
Testament was originally written), there are two words, 
both which are in our tongue rendered holy. These are, 
ogios, and oc^joj. The primary and proper import of the for- 
mer, when applied to persons or moral agents, is, according 
to Schleusner, true godliness. " Signijicat (says he) sanc- 
tum, pium erga Deimi, integrum viicB, verum Die cidtorem, 
puriim a vetiosiiate.''^ The word occurs, if the author has 
rightly computed, only eight times in the New Testament, 
viz. in Acts ii, 27, and xiii, 34, 35 : Heb. vii, 26 : 1 Tim. 
ii, 8 : Titus i, 8 : Rev. xv, 4, and xvi, 5 ; and in five" of 
these instances it clearly means as above defined. It de- 
notes, properly, a mental quality ; internal, moral excel- 
lence ; or in a word, it properly denotes what we common- 
ly intend by the term holiness. And sometimes (as it cor- 



92 CRITICAL AND 

responds to the Hebrew word chasid) it denotes particular- 
ly the exercises of godliness, as they respect the indigent 
and miserable ; and when used in this application, it signi- 
fies humane, benign, merciful, &c. But ayio^ is more gen- 
eral in its signification. In very many, or most of those in- 
stances, wherein it occurs in the Greek New Testament, 
and in the Septuagint version of the Old, it certainly cannot 
denote either internal moral excellence, or any moral quali- 
ty at all. For it is apphed to Jerusalem, Mat. iv, 5 ; to 
the temple, Micah i, 2 ; to the mount of transfiguration, 
2 Pet. i, 18 ; to the camp of Israel, Deut. xxiii, 14 ; to the 
ground where Moses stood, Ex. iii, 5 ; to the anointing oil 
for the tabernacle, Ex. xxx, 25 ; to the vessels of the 
sanctuary, 1 Chron. xxii, 19 ; to Aaron's garments, Ex. 
xxviii, 2, &c. Let the Greek scholar examine the above 
texts, as they stand in the Septuagint and Greek Testament. 
True, it is sometimes the case, that intelligent beings, to 
whom this word is applied, are holy, in the spiritual sense 
of that term ; and in some cases, the word itself, as applied 
to them, may directly denote such a quality. But this is 
not the primitive and original sense of the word. Its origi- 
nal and proper signification is, sepai-ation from a general to 
a particular, from a common to a special use ; or, as it res- 
pects things of reUgion, it denotes dedication, consecration 
to the service of God, or a being set apart for his service 
and worship. And this, let it be remembered, is the word 
used in this place, '' Else were your children unclean, but 
now are they holy ;" where, by the way, holy is opposed to 
unclean ; and hence we derive additional evidence, that the 
word means in this place as above explained. For the term 
unclean, as used by the Jews, denoted generally what was 
not fit to be offered to God. How natural, then, to under- 
stand holy in this passage, as denoting what is fit to be of- 
fered, consecrated, dedicated to Him ! If, then, the children 
of professing believers arc holy in this sense — are fit to be 
set apart for God, and dedicated to him, is it not proper that 
they should receive the distinguishing badge of such dedica- 
tion ? Who, then, can forbid water, that they should not be 
baptised ? Schleusner's comment on the words, *' but now are 
they holy," is, " Jam vero habentur membra ecclesia chriS' 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 93 

tiancB ,•" i. e. but now are they accounted members of the 
christian church. Whether this comment be allowed to ex- 
press exactly the sense of the apostle, or not, it seems, at 
least to the author, impossible to invent any consistent or 
reasonable interpretation of this passage, but w^hat will fa- 
vour the cause of infant baptism. Some say the word 

holy here means legithnate. Now, of such persons as can 
say so seriously, I would ask — Have you ever considered 
the implication of this, or the consequence that must follow, 
if your interpretation be correct 1 A strict and candid atten- 
tion to the whole verse must evince, that whatever be the 
import of the term holy, as here used, it is applicable to the 
children of believers only ; or that no other children than 
those of believers are holy, in the sense here intended. For 
the only reason here mentioned by St. Paul, why these 
children are holy, is, that the unbelieving husband is sancti- 
fied by (or to) the wife, and the unbeHeving wife is sancti- 
fied by (or to) the husband ; " else," says he, (i. e. other- 
wise, were it not for this reason), your children would be 
unclean ; but now are they holy." Since, then, this is the 
only reason why these children are called holy ; on supposi- 
tion that holy itself means legitimate, the conclusion is, that 
where this reason does not exist ; i. e. where the unbeliev- 
ing husband is not sanctified by the wife, nor the unbeliev- 
ing wife by the husband ; or, in other words,, when neither 
of the parents is a believer, their children must necessarily 
be illegitimate ! ! But, depraved as the world is, such a 
conclusion is wholly inadmissible, because it is contrary 
to fact. Still, as it so directly follows from the above men- 
tioned construction of this text, we must either adopt the 
conclusion, or discard the construction itself. Which of 
these two things must be done, '•'judge ye." 

* Veuse 25. 

"Now, concerning virgins, I have no commandment of 
the Lord ; yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtain- 
ed mercy of the Lord to be faithful." 

Hence, it seems, some have inferred that Paul was not al- 
ways under inspiration, when he wrote his epistles, but con- 
tented himself, at times, with the delivery of his own iiv 



94 CRITICAL AND 

dividual opinion ; that, to be sure, such was the case in res- 
pect to this passage. As to this inference, it is natural to 
remark, that on supposition of its justness, we ought to 
conclude that Paul was of course under inspiration, (at least 
in his own opinion), in all those other parts of his writings 
wherein he does not express any hesitancy as to this matter. 
But the truth is, all St. Paul meant was simply this, viz. that 
in respect to virgins, the Lord had not seen fit to give him 
any express directions, as he had done in respect to a man's 
putting away his wife, and a wife's putting away her hus- 
band. Surely, we are not to conclude that the apostle was 
not under inspiration, merely because such inspiration did 
not extend to every conceivable subject. 

Verse 36. 

*' But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely 
toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need 
so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not ; let 
them marry." 

To prevent needless questions and scruples relative to 
this passage of scripture, it may be observed, that its mean- 
ing, evidently, from the context, is this : — ' If a man have a 
virgin-daughter, or any other virgin-maiden, under his care, 
that is marriageble, and disposed to marry, and circumstan- 
ces on the whole render it expedient and best that she should 
be married ; let such a father or guardian do what he will in 
reference to her ; i. e. let him, if he pleases, give her hi 
marriage to some suitable companion. He does not sin in 
so doing. Let them marry ; i. e. let her and him whom her 
father or guardian has provided for her, and whom she has 
chosen as her companion, become one in the conjugal state.' 
To marry, or to he married, is one thing ; to give in mar- 
riage, is another. It is of the last, only, that the apostle 
treats in this verse, and also m verses 37 and 38 of the 
same chapter. 

Chap, ix, 24 — 26. 

" Know ye not, that they which run in a race, (i. e. in the 
stadium, or circus), run all, but one receiveth the prize ? So 
run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for 
the mastery, is temperate in all things. NoWj they do it to 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 95 

obtain a corruptible crown ; but we an incorruptible. I, 
therefore, so run not as uncertainly." 

These verses manifestly refer to the races performed at the 
Isthmian games in Greece. Though to some of them sev- 
eral prizes might have been assigned, and of different value ; 
yet to that here referred to there belonged only one. The 
hope of winning it stimulated alike each of the racers ; and 
that they might " not run in vain," they had previously ha- 
bituated themselves to the strictest temperance, as to eatjng 
and drinking, and every article of sensual indulgence. But af- 
ter all, the prize in view, if obtained, would be of very httle 
service or value ; for it v^^as only a crown or garland of leaves. 
Nevertheless, from those races the apostle drew spiritual 
instruction. As often as he witnessed them, he resolved that 
he would " run the race set before him," with at least equal 
agility and vigour ; and, that he might run not as uncertain- 
ly, would habituate his body to at least equal temperance 
and subjection ; and he here exhorts his Corinthian converts, 
and through them all Christians, to do so likewise. How 
important it is for us, like the apostle, to derive spiritual 
instruction from natural objects ! How important not to be 
outdone in our pursuit of the prize of our high calling, by the 
men of the world, in their pursuit of earthly treasures ! How 
grateful should we be, that though only one could obtain the 
prize, in the case here referred to by the apostle, all Chris- 
tians, who run with patience the race set before them, may 
and will obtain the heavenly prize ! But how necessary it is 
we should remember, that as the prize in question would be 
awarded to the candidate only at the end of the race-ground ; 
at the further goal ; so it is only to those who persevere in 
the christian race until the end of life, that the incorruptible 
crown will be given. 

Chap, x, 20. 

" But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, 
they sacrifice to devils, and not to God." 

In the Greek, it is Saiiiovkts, to demons — false, fictitious 
gods, says Rosenmuller, in his comment on the passage. 
There are in the original three words, which, by our trans- 
lators are rendered devil, and in the plural devils, viz. iJ<a§o- 
"kog, Satfxouvj and ^cmjjwvIov. The former of these commonly 



96 CRITICAL AND 

denotes the fallen angels, and still more commonly the arch- 
apostate, Satan. Sometimes, however, when used in the 
plural number, the word is applied to human beings, as in 
1 Tim. iii, 11—" Even so 'must their wives be grave, not 
slanderers," Greek, (xo^ SiaQoXovg. (See also 2 Tim. iii, 3, and 
Titus ii, 3.) The word properly signifies a false accuser, 
or slanderer, and when the singular article is prefixed, (as 
^ja§oXo^,) it denotes Satan. Aai^owv and daiy.oviQv are near- 
ly synonomous, and convey, each of them, a somewhat dif- 
ferent meaning from StoL^oXog. With respect to ^ocifxovjov — 
the word now under consideration, the word used in the 
passage before us — -as used by the heathens, it signified 
generally an intermediate class of spirits, whose rank in the 
scale of being was supposed to be in a sort of medium be- 
tween God and man ; and sometimes, also, it signified the 
departed, deified spirits of good and virtuous men. But 
though by heathen writers the term is frequently used in a 
good sense ; i. e. good in their sense of goodness ; yet in 
the New Testament it is invariably used in a bad sense, with 
the exception, perhaps, of Acts xvii, 18, where the same 
word in the Greek occurs, and is there translated gods. If 
now the inquiry be, what is the direct meaning of the scrip- 
ture before us, " I say that the things which the Gentiles 
sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, (demons), and not to 
God ;" the best reply appears to be this : — It means, that 
though in offering their sacrifices, they might have designed 
to offer them to demons, in their sense of the term ; i. e. 
either to an intermediate class of beings between Jehovah 
and men, or to the departed deified spirits of illustrious men ; 
yet that in reality they offered them to evil spirits — evil de- 
mons ; for such, in the christian sense, most or all of their 
demons, even the best of them, were. 

Chap, xi, 5. 

"But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her 
head uncovered, dishonoureth her head." 

From the connection it is evident, that by " her head," in 
this last instance, is intended the man, the woman's husband. 
If a woman should appear and pray and prophesy in a public 
assembly, with her head and face uncovered or unveiled, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. ^,97 

she would thereby dishonor her husband. She would dis- 
honor herself, as she would not appear with that decorum 
(verse 13) which was proper for her sex ; and by dishonor- 
ing herself, she must of course dishonor her husband. She 
would dishonor her husband, also, as she would thereby af- 
fect that masculine appearance, (verse 7), that precedence 
and authority, which it could not be for the credit, either of 
herself to assume, or of her husband to permit. (See the 
comment on the next passage.) 

Verse 10. 

*' For this cause, ought the woman to have power on her 
head, because of the angels." 

The word power, in this place, evidently refers to the veil 
or covering which the woman wore on her head. Such in 
ancient times was the custom among the Greeks, Romans, 
and Jews, when they appeared in worshipping assemblies. 
This covering, as worn by the women in apostolic times, 
was a token both of their modesty, and of their subjection 
to their husbands. But what are we to understand by the 
expression "because of the angels ?" Though the scriptures 
use the word angels in various senses, and sometimes inteod 
thereby mere men, (see Rev. ii, 1, 8, 12, 18, &c.) ; yet the 
most natural interpretation of the term in this place is, that 
it denotes not human spies, as some think, but those celes- 
tial beings who are usually intended by the term angels. 
And the apostle appears here to teach, by implication, that 
they are occasionally, though of course invisibly, present in 
the worshipping assemblies of Christians, to observe whether 
the due brder and spirituality are there maintained, as well 
as to assist in their devotions. What an awful motive, by 
the way, is this, for us to keep our hearts j as well as our feet, 
when we go to the house of God ! 

Verses 14, 16. 
*' Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a mart hare 
long hair, it is a shame unto him 1 But if a woman have long 
hair, it is a glory to h«r, for her hair is given her for a cot- 
ering." 

9 



98 CRITICAL ANI> 

As nature or custom (see Schleusner on the place) doesr 
not seem to teach us, in these days, much on this subject, one 
way or the other, this is one of the numerous passages whose 
hteral meaning cannot be rightly understood, without some 
knowledge of oriental customs. Sir J. Chardin, speaking 
of the people of Asia, says — " The men are shaved, (only 
one lock of their hair excepted) ; the women nourish their 
hair with great fondness, which they lengthen by tresses and 
tufts of silk, drawn down to the heels." The customs of the 
Asiatics change but seldom ; and this custom, with many 
others mentioned in the Bible, continues among them until 
this day. 

Yerse 28. 

" But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of 
that bread, and drink of that cup." 

The word Soxiihcl^oj, here translated examine, properly 
signifies to try, prove, or examine a thing, in respect to its 
quality or nature ; to ascertain whether it be genuine or not. 
In its original and literal acceptation, it was applied to met- 
als, such as silver, gold, &c. These were cast into the fire, 
and thus were SoxiiJ^a^o^isvoi, i. e. tried, in order that it might 
appear whether they were, or how much of them was, pure, 
genuine gold or silver, and how much dross. True, the 
word in this passage is used figuratively, but evidently with 
an allusion to its primary and literal import. Hence, then, 
we have the true meaning of St. Paul in this place. It was 
not, as some have supposed, that the Corinthians should ex- 
amine themselves in respect to their needs only, or chiefly; 
but it was that they should examine, try, prove themselves, 
in respect to character, that they might know what manner 
of spirit they were of; in other words, whether they were 
true, genuine believers or not ; and if, in the result, it should 
appear that they were, how much pure, genuine religion they 
had, how much of the " gold tried in the fire," and how 
much dross. (See 1 Pet. i, 7.) It is obvious, then, that in 
the scripture before us, it is implied that real piety is an 
indispensable pre-requisite to such a partaking of the sacra- 
ment, as is either acceptable to the Lord, or beneficial to 
the communicant. 



explanatory notes. 99 

Verse 29. 

'^ For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and 
^rinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's 
body." 

It is well known that this verse has been the occasion of 
much disquietude and distress, in the minds of many sin- 
cere, but weak believers. It is probable that an erroneous 
view of it has kept away from the Lord's table many, who 
ought by all means to have approached it. Hence, it is 
very important that the passage should be rightly understood. 
And for this purpose it should be observed and remembered, 
that the word x^/fxa properly signifies judgment, merely, 
though sometimes it signifies condemnation, or adjudication 
to punisnment. (See Luke xxiii, 40, and xxiv, 20 : Rom. 
iii, 8, and xiii, 2, &c.) Sometimes, indeed, the word seems 
to denote punishment, of some kind or other, as in Gal. v, 
10 : Mat. xxiii, 14 : 1 Pet. iv, 17: Rev. xvii, 1. It is ob- 
vious, however, that in neither of these passages, does it 
signify, primarily or properly, the punishment of hell, which 
IS what we usually intend by the word damnation. Nor 
was this the thing intended in the verse before us. Thus 
much at least may be concludod from the previous remarks. 
To these we may add, that the eating and drinking unwor- 
thily at the Lord's table, is not the unpardonable sin. What 
that is, see Mat. xii, 32. The meaning of the passage then 
must be this : — ' He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, i. e. 
without the requisite desires and fitness of character, (see 
Mat. xxii, 8), eateth and drinketh judgment or condemna- 
tion to himself.' He is herein, and for so doing, judged and 
condemned, not only by his own conscience, if it be prop- 
erly enlightened and unbiassed, but by the Judge of all the 
earth. His sin is doubtless great, though not " a sin unto 
death ;" not a sin that seals, or is necessarily connected 
with, the future and eternal damnation of the soul, as some 
very erroneously seem to have supposed, from this passage. 
Hence, he may be forgiven, and will be, if penitent. 

Chap, xii, 7. 
" But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everj 
man, to profit withal." 



100 CRITICAL AND 

This scripture has been sometimes brought along with 
some others, to prove that there is in every individual of 
mankind, some spark or portion of divine light, which, if 
faithfully cultivated and improved, will insure his eternal 
salvation, in opposition to the sentiment generally consider- 
ed orthodox, viz. that we are by nature in a state of total, 
spiritual darkness. But when thus used, it is evidently 
wrested from its primary and proper meaning. Rightly to 
understand this text of scripture, we must remember that 
the apostle is here treating of the gifts of the Spirit. Be- 
tween these and the graces or fruits of the Spirit, mentioned 
in Gal. v, 22, there is a great difference ; as great, indeed, 
and the same as there is between disposition and ability — 
between holy affections of heart, and the power, capacity, 
or ability of performing such and such outward acts. The 
former, the gifts of the Spirit, are excellent, and ought to be 
earnestly coveted, (verse 31) ; but the latter are more ex- 
cellent than they, as the apostle observes, (verse 31), and 
proceeds to illustrate at large, in the article of charity or 
love, (chap, xiii, 1, ad finem.) Now, that it was only of 
spiritual gifts the apostle was here speaking, a bare attention 
to his argument must convince us. For observe, that as a 
proof, or rather instance of the truth of what he had said 
in verse 7j he immediately says, '' For to one is given by the 
Spirit the word of wisdom ; to another the word of knowl- 
edge, by the same Spirit; to another faith, (some miraculous 
or extraordinary faith, probably), by the same Spirit; to 
another the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another 
the working of miracles ; to another prophecy ; to another 
discerning of spirits ; to another diverse kinds of tongues ; 
to another the interpretation of tongues." The above quo- 
tations show, moreover, that in verse 7, St. Paul referred 
not only to the gifts of the Spirit exclusively, but also, in a 
great measure, to such gifts as were bestowed in the apos- 
tolic age, and in primitive times ; for evidently some of the 
gifts above enumerated, were peculiar to that age, and to 
those times. 

Chap, xiii, 1. 

" Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels> 
and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or ^, 
tinkling cymbal," &c. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 101 

The word charity, as commonly used and understood 
among men, denotes liberality to the poor and needy ; a 
munificent disposition, a disposition to supply their wants, 
especially their bodily wants ; and from signifying the cause, 
it has been used to signify the effect, also, viz. munificence 
itself. Thus, he who feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, 
relieves the distressed, and does these things gratis, is called 
a charitable man. Sometimes, also, the word is used to 
signify a disposition to think favorably of our fellow men, 
in regard to their spiritual state and another world. Hence, 
he who believes that people of different religious sentiments 
and communions may be equally safe, in regard to another 
world and eternal happiness, is by many considered and 
called a charitable person. Their meaning is, such a per- 
son is not bigoted, but liberal in his views and feelings — 
charitable, in this sense. And perhaps some may think that 
the Universalist is of all men the most charitable, because 
he believes that all men will be finally saved, whatever their 
religious sentiments or moral conduct in this world may 
have been. But the charity of the New Testament signi- 
fies, strictly speaking, neither of these. Its corresponding 
term in the original is ky(xiir\^ i. e. love, holy love. Such is 
the precise signification of the word. So our translators 
have commonly rendered it ; and why they have not thus 
rendered it uniformly, I cannot explain in any other way 
than this ; that in their time, these two words, charity and 
love, were synonymous, and of course interchangeable ; 
which very possibly might have been the case then, but 
which we know is not the case now. This scriptural charity, 
this holy, divine love, doubtless includes a generous kind- 
ness towards the poor and needy, and will lead to the out- 
ward expressions of such a temper, in attempts to supply 
their wants, and to relieve them in their distresses. If our 
supposed benevolence does not produce beneficence, and if, 
moreover, it does not lead to that particular species of it 
which was last mentioned, it certainly cannot be true or 
genuine benevolence ; for, " whoso hath this world's good, 
and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels 
of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in 
him]" (1st Epis. John, iii, 17.) Again, this same blessed 

9* 



102 CRITICAL AND 

temper includes a disposition to think favorably of others, so 
far as known circumstances will permit; for " charity (love) 
thinketh no evil," unreasonably or unnecessarily. Still, be 
it remembered, this scriptural charity is something more 
than either or both of these. It is love, holy and divine love, 
that love which is "the fruit of the Spirit," and which only 
is the " fulfilling of the law." Before I close my remarks 
on this passage, I would just observe, it plainly implies, 
(particularly when connected with the two succeeding ver- 
ses), that the possessing of many excellent and uncommon 
gifts is compatible with the utter w^ant of holy love, as every 
attentive reader must perceive. How important, then, that 
we should distinguish betv/een the mere gifts and the graces 
of the Spirit, and closely examine ourselves in regard to our 
moral character '? For though a man should speak with the 
tongues of men and of angels, &c., if he has not charity or 
divine love, he is nothing in the view of the great Omniscient, 
but a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. Therefore, 
while we may " covet earnestly the best gifts," in order that 
we may be the more useful to our fellow men in those sta- 
tions wherein Providence has placed us respectively, let us 
attend yet more earnestly to this " more excellent way." 

Verse 13. 

" And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three : but 
the greatest of these is charity." 

But how or why is charity, or love, greater than faith and 
hope ! In several particulars love has the pre-eminence. 
That we may, however, adhere as closely as possible to the 
reasoning of the apostle, I shall here mention only one, viz. 
duration. The superlative excellency of love consists in 
this; it "never faileth." This cannot truly be said of the 
mere gifts of the Spirit, as possessed in the present world ; 
for " whether there be prophecies, they shall fail ; whether 
there be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there be know- 
ledge, it shall vanish away." (Verse 8.) Nor can this be 
aaid of faith and hope. Faith will hereafter be turned into 
sight, and hope into enjoyment ; but " charity never fail- 
eth •;" it will last forever. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 103 

Chap, xiv, 1. 

" Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rath- 
er that ye may prophesy." 

The word prophesy, according to Johnson and Walker, 
signifies primarily and properly, " to predict, to foretell, to 
prognosticate, to foreshow." Such is the signification as- 
signed to it by common consent, and by common practice, 
which governs chiefly in regard to the use of language. But 
this cannot be the meaning of the word, as used in many 
parts of scripture, and particularly in the verse before us, 
and frequently in other parts of this chapter. The usual 
scriptural sense of this word is, to preach, as is justly re- 
marked by the above mentioned lexicographers. The gen- 
eral meaning of the word, as used in this chapter, clearly is, 
"to explain scripture, and publicly to discourse of divine 
things, in an instructive and edifying manner." (Dodd- 
ridge.) In verse 4, prophesying is opposed to speaking in 
an unknown tongue. " He that speaketh in an unknown 
tongue, edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth, edifieth 
the church." The antithesis or contrast here expressed, 
implies, that by prophesying, the apostle meant not only in- 
structing the people, by explaining divine truth to them, but 
also doing this in a very plain manner, and very i7itelligibly, 
so that the Corinthians might not be to their brethren hke 
one that spake in an unknown language, or unintelligibly. 
The prophesying in the apostolic age, v/as usually delivered, 
it seems, by divine inspiration. In conclusion, it is very 
natural, and seems very important, to remark, how vastly 
preferable, in the judgment of an inspired apostle, are the 
useful to the merely brilliant talents, in every public teacher ! 
Though St. Paul could speak with tongues, more than all 
the Corinthians, and felt thankful to his God that he could 
do so ; yet in the church he had rather speak five words with 
his understanding, that he might thereby teach others also, 
and thus be useful to them, than ten thousand words in an. 
unknown tongue. (See verses 18, 19.) 

Chap, xv, 22. 
*' For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be 
made alive." 



104 CRITICAL AND 

Among the texts brought by the Universalists in defence 
of their peculiar tenet, this, it is well known, always holds a 
prominent place. The import of it, as they understand, or 
pretend to understand it, amounts to this : — ' As in Adam all 
are lost, so in Christ all are saved.'' It needs but a little 
knowledge of human nature, especially of our innate and 
strong desire for happiness, to be satisfied that such an in- 
terpretation would be very gratifying to us all, to the antago- 
nists of the UniversaUsts, as well as to the Universalists 
themselves, provided only we could see it to be a just inter- 
pretation. But if we candidly and carefully examine the 
context, and in so doing allow ourselves to be guided by 
our judgment, and not by our selfish feelings, we cannot 
avoid the conclusion, that this very welcome interpretation 
is by no means admissible. It is evident that the main sub- 
ject treated of in this chapter, is the literal resurrection, the 
resurrection of the body ; and the main proof of this in- 
teresting article of our faith, that is here insisted on, is the 
resurrection of Christ. (See from verse 4 to verse 23.) — 
Though other matters are mentioned in this chapter, yet that 
a resurrrection of some sort or other is its principal subject, 
is undeniable. The only question is, what sort of a resur- 
rection is it, a literal or a spiritual one 1 That the resurrec- 
tion of the body is the precise point treated of by the apos- 
tle, both before and after the verse now under consideration, 
none who will understand his words according to the common 
acceptation of language, can reasonably question. (See 
before it, verses 12, 13, 15, 16.) See after it, verse 35 — 
" But some man will say, How are the dead raised up, and 
with what body do they come ?" and verse 44 — " It is sown 
a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." As, then, 
both before and after verse 22, the resurrection of the body 
is clearly the subject of discussion, and as nothing in the im- 
mediate context forbids our understanding the same as be- 
ing meant there also, it seems that by the usual and autho- 
rised rules of interpretation, we are obliged to understand 
the apostle as referring in this 22d verse, to the literal death, 
and the literal resurrection, only. Besides, the argument 
here used by the apostle, viz. that drawn from the resurrec- 
tion of Christ, would not be suitable to his purpose, unless 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 105 

the resurrection treated of in this chapter were that of the 
body ; for the resurrection of Christ was a corporeal, literal 
resurrection, a resurrection of the body. How, then, could 
it be called the first fruits or pledge of them that slept, or of 
their resurrection, unless the resurrection of their bodies 
were meant ? The meaning, therefore, of St. Paul, in this 
verse, appears to be as if he had said, ' As in Adam all die a 
natural death, so in Christ, or in consequence, and by virtue 
of his resurrection, they all shall arise from their graves, 
and thus hterally be made alive again ;' that thereby, and in 
their perfect man, consisting of soul and body then reunited, 
they may be fully prepared to be judged according to their 
works. This is in substance the interpretation adopted by 
Henry, McKnight, and Scott. If St. Paul referred at all 
in this passage, and in the context, to a spiritual death, and 
a spiritual resurrection, and to Adam and Christ as federal 
heads, and as sources, the one of spiritual death, and the 
other of spiritual life, to mankind ; then his meaning must 
have been thus : — ' As in Adam all his seed (which are all 
mankind) die morally or spiritually — become dead in tres- 
passes and sins ; so in Christ, the other federal head, all his 
seed (i. e. all true believers) shall be made spiritually alive I 
Whichsoever of these interpretations be adopted, this text, 
it is easily seen, affords no aid to the cause of universalism* 

Terse 24. 

" Then cometh the end, Avhen he shall have delivered up 
the kingdom to God, even the Father ; when he shall have 
put down all rule, and all authority and power." 

For the explanation and correct understanding of this 
very significant text, it should be observed and remember-' 
ed, that the scriptures appear in some places to distinguish 
between the kingdom of God and tho kingdom of Christ. 
They are both the same in respect to their general nature ; 
so they are in respect to their grand ultimate object, which 
is the universal extension and complete triumph of truth and 
righteousness. But yet, in respect to administration and dura- 
tion, there may be said to be a difference. The Son admin-^ 
isters by a delegated and derived, the Father by an underivecl 
power. The kingdom of the Father is to be strictly and ab-/ 



106 CRITICAL AND 

solutely everlasting ; the kingdom of the Son, as such, is to 
continue only until " he shall have subdued all enemies un- 
der his feet." (What that means, see the comment on the 
next verse.) He will then deliver up his kingdom to God, 
even the Father ; and this kingdom will ever afterwards be 
the Father's. And it may be for the arrival of that great 
event, that grand consummation in the moral world, when 
Christ shall gather together the whole multitude of the re- 
deemed, and shall present them to his Father, and when, of 
course, his mediatorial reign shall cease, as being no longer 
necessary, and shall be alasorbed in that of the Father, so 
that God may be " all in all" — I say, it may be for the arri- 
val of that great event, at least, in part, that our Saviour di- 
rects us to pray, in the petition to the Father, *' thij kingdom 
come." The circumstance, however, that Christ will der 
liver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, is perfectly 
consistent both with his being properly a divine person, and 
with his officiating forever and ever as the Father's vicege- 
rent in administration. The subordination of the Son, pre- 
dicted in verse 28, may be simply official ; and official sub- 
ordination may well consist with essential equality. By the 
way, this text disproves universalism, i. e. the restoration 
scheme. For that scheme supposes (see Chancey and 
Winchester) that some sinners will be found impenitent at 
the great day, and will, as such, be then adjudged by Christ 
Jesus to the second death, which, they allow, will continue 
for ages of ages. The advocates for the restoration scheme 
contend, however, that when those same sinners shall have 
suffered the pains of the second death, they will be delivered 
from their gloomy prison, and admitted to heaven ; or if 
(what they allow to be possible) some of them shall still 
stand it out, and continue so unreasonably obstinate, as that 
they will need and must endure still further punishment in 
another state of trial, yet that they will all eventually be 
saved. But how inconsistent with such a doctrine is the 
text before us ! By the end mentioned in this text, must be 
intended, the end of the world, the day of judgment. By 
the kingdom to be then delivered up, the mediatorial king- 
dom is unquestionably intended. If Christ will then deliver 
up his kingdom, of course he will no longer act as Media- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 107 

tor ; and if so, then, obviously, no sinners can ever be saved 
bij him after the day of judgment. Can they be saved by 
any other person, or in any other way ? Let the word of 
God answer : — " Neither is there salvation in any other ; 
for there is none other name under heaven, given among 
men, whereby we mnst be saved." (Acts iv, 12.) 

Verse 25. 

"jFor he must reign till he hath put all enemies under 
his feet." 

How frequently and how triumphantly have these words 
bjeen brought forward in aid of the universahan cause ; but 
manifestly with no reason. The phrase ' putting under 
one's feet,' does not necessarily, nor even naturally, denote 
a moral, cordial, willing subjection. When the captains of 
Israel, in obedience to the command of Joshua, (ch. x, 24), 
put their feet upon the necks of the five kings of Canaan, 
they did not thereby bring them into cordial subjection to 
Joshua's government, nor into cordial affection to his per- 
son. But mark the sense in which this phrase is used in 
other places of scripture. See as a specimen, Ps. viii, 
4 — 8 — " What is man, that thou art mindful of him ? and 
the son of man, that thou visitest him ] For thou hast made 
him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with 
glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion 
over the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all things under 
his feet." But certainly this phrase, *' under his feet," as 
here used by David, cannot denote a moral, cordial, willing 
subjection. For the Psalmist proceeds to mention, " all 
sheep and oxen, yea, the beasts of the field, the fowl of the 
air, the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the 
paths of the sea," as among the all things subjected to man. 
But as these animals are not moral agents, so of course they 
are not capable of moral subjection. All, therefore, the 
Psalmist meant was, that those animals were subjected to 
man's dominion, so that they would be afraid of him, be un- 
der his control, and acknowledge him as their lord and ruler. 
In like manner, but not otherwise, can it be said with truth, 
that all Christ's enemies shall be put under his feet. 



108 CRITICAL AND 

Verse 29. 

<'EIse what shall they do which are baptised for the dead, 
if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they then baptised for 
the dead?" 

Of this difficult text several interpretations have been 
given. Some have supposed that the phrase, " for the 
dead," means for their dead things. It is acknowledged 
that the adjective or adjective-noun here used, may be in 
either the masculine, feminine, or neuter gender, according 
to circumstances, and the exigency of the case. But yet, 
what rational or definite meaning can be attached to the ex- 
pression, dead things, it is difficult to conceive. Some 
have supposed that St. Paul, in this passage, refers to a cus- 
tom supposed to exist in his time, viz. of some being bap- 
tised, (with water), in the place, stead, or room, and for the 
benefit of others, who were dead, and who had died without 
having received that ordinance. But as it is questionable 
whether such a custom ever existed in the christian church, 
and as the intrinsic folly of the custom itself, seems to forbid 
even the supposition that it could well exist in the luminous 
age of the apostles ; so that interpretation of the passage, 
which is built on this hypothesis, must be relinquished. It 
remains, then, that we exhibit what appears to be the true 
meaning of the passage ; and for this purpose, it is neces- 
sary to explain the import of the Greek terms used in the 
expression, "baptised for the dead." The word ^a-TrWi^w 
(baptise) is used in at least three senses in the scriptures. 
Its first and most common reference is to that outward ordi- 
nance, or christian sacrament, called baptism. As understood 
in this sense, it signifies to immerse or wash with water. 
(See Mat. iii, 16 : Luke vii, 29 : John iii, 23 : Acts ii, 38, 
and x, 47.) Again, the word signifies sometimes the ope- 
rations, the influences of the Holy Spirit ; and as used in 
this acceptation, it is called spiritual baptism. (See in 
illustration, Mat. iii, 11: Acts xi, 16.) Once more, the 
word sometimes denotes sufferings; commonly extreme 
sufferings ; sufferings nigh unto death ; as in Mark x, 38 : 
Luke xii, 50. Now, in respect to the passage before us, it 
would make good sense, if the word ^aifri^o^svoi were under- 
stood, in either of the above mentioned senses. The first, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 109 

llowever, seems on the whole preferable to either of the 
other two ; chiefly, because it is in the New Testament, 
the most common sense of the term. The preposition u-TTsp, 
here translated for, properly signifies in the 'place, or room 
of. (See Rom. v, 8, 11 : 2 Cor. v, 14, 15 : 1 Pet. ii, 21, 
and iii, 18.) The words twv vsx^wv, translated the dead, 
relate to persons, and not inanimate things, and must here 
denote those persons who had died, in the literal sense. The 
meaning of this passage, then, may be expressed in the 
following paraphrase : — ■' Else what shall they do, who, in 
token of their receiving the christian faith, are baptised 
(with water) in the room or as the successors of the dead ; 
of those Christians who have either died in the natural way, 
or have suffered martyrdom, if the dead rise not at all 1 And 
why, if there be no resurrection, and if they be not firmly 
persuaded of it — why do they so readily step into the ranks 
of Christ's fallen soldiers ; thereby taking their room, and 
supplying their place, and thus exposing themselves to simi- 
lar sufferings and a similar death 1' Surely, if there be no 
resurrection, and no future state of rewards, they would be 
%^ery foolish in so doing ; in thus depriving themselves of 
the pleasures of this life, and exposing themselves to so 
many hardships, and even to a violent and cruel death. 



II. CORINTHIANS. 



Chapter ii. Verse 14 — 16. 

** Now, thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to 
triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his 
knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a 
sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them 
that perish. To the one we are the savour of death unto 
death ; and to the other the savour of life unto life." 

The word ^piaf;.€sjw, here rendered causeth to triumph^ 
occurs also in Col. ii, 15, where it is rendered triumphing 
over. The apostle may be understood as giving thanks to 
God, either because He had triumphed over his pharisaic 
pride and obstinate temper, by the renewing and sanctifying 
agency of his Holy Spirit, and had made both himself and 

10 



110 CRITICAL AND 

his fellow apostles, as individuals, the trophies of his gi-ace j 
or rather, (as the English version implies, and as the two 
following verses most directly show), because He had 
made him and the other apostles triumphant, as such, by 
crowning their labors with such signal success- In these 
three verses, the apostle is supposed to allude to a practice 
among the xtomans, which was this : — When their generals 
returned as conquerors from a successful campaign, they 
were accompanied by some distinguished persons, whom 
they had taken as captives. When they entered the capital 
city, the streets were paved with roses, and other things of 
a sweet odour. Of their captives some were pardoned and 
allowed to live, and some were put to death. To the for- 
mer these sweet smelling roses were reviving indeed ; they 
were a savour of life ending in life, of prolonged life. To 
the latter, also, they were reviving at first ; but the revival 
was short ; it was like the revival before death, a sort of 
death-revival, rather threatening than otherwise. In short, 
to them these same sweet smelhng roses v/ere a savour of 
death unto death. The main spiritual instruction of the 
whole appears to be this, viz : that the same odoriferous and 
blessed gospel, or the scheme of truth therein taught, pro- 
duces very different effects on different hearers, even as the 
beams of the sun do on w^ax and clay. Some it softens, and 
some it hardens. Some the truth '' prepares unto glory," 
and some it ripens for-destruction. And in either case, the 
effects produced will be according to the dispositions of the 
persons, and tho manner in which they treat the messages 
of reconciliation. How important, then, the admonition, 
" Take heed how ye hear !" 

Verse 17. 

"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of 
God ; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of 
God, speak we in Christ." 

Ka-^rrjXsiJW, of which the participle is here used, and trans- 
lated corrupt, literally means to adulterate, as a dishonest 
vintner or tavern-keeper does his wines and other costly 
liquors. Accordingly, the word, or a noun of the same root, 
is found used by the LXX, in this literal sense, in their 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. Ill 

iransiation of Isa. i, 22. In our version it runs thus : — 
" Thy silver is become dross ; thy wine mixed with water ;" 
which is indeed an exact translation from the Hebrew. But 
in the Septuagint, it is exactly thus :— '' Thy vintners min- 
gle the wine with water." In the text before us, the word 
is used metaphorically, in application to the word of God, 
and denotes adulterating that word. Liquors may be adul- 
terated in two ways ; by infusing into them certain ingredi- 
ents, to give them a, good colour, an agreeable taste, and a 
better relish, but which are in their nature poisonous, and 
may prove so to those who drink them ; and by pouring 
into them such ingredients, as, though not destructive to the 
lives or health of people, weaken the liquors themselves, 
such as water, &c. How forcible the metaphor, and alas, 
how justly descriptive is it of too many professed religious 
teachers in all ages of the church, and in our own time also ! 
How has the pure gospel been adulterated by them, so that 
the minds of many have been corrupted from the simplicity 
that is in Christ ; and that, too, in ways corresponding to 
those above mentioned I For there are two ways in which 
the souls of men may be corrupted and destroyed ; hj 'poi- 
soning them, and by starving them ; by preaching false 
doctrine, and by keeping back the true doctrine. And how 
frequently have souls in fact been coiTupted and destroyed 
in both these ways! How careful, then, should ministers 
be, that they do not " handle the word of God deceitfully ;" 
that they do not corrupt the gospel, either by mixing with it 
a vain philosophy, (Col. ii, 8), and curious speculations of 
their own, to render it more specious and more agreeable to 
the proud heart and depraved taste of man ; or by adding 
to it the miserable " traditions of men," useless ceremonies, 
&c. the tendency of which things must be either to poison 
or to starve the souls of men. It is said many people in 
Paris (France) onCe lost their lives, in consequence of a 
merchant's seUlng them adulterated liquors. Ought not 
corrupt teachers to fear lest a similar, though a more dread- 
ful destruction, (because that of the soul, and an eternal 
one), should ensue, on their adultera.tion of the lively ora- 
cles ? 



112 critical and 

Chap, hi, 18. 

'* But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass th© 
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from 
glory to glory, even as by ,the Spirit of the Lord." 

In the original, the word translated open is a passive par- 
ticiple, signifying exactly unveiled, or uncovered. Hence 
we learn the precise meaning of this text. Moses had a 
veil over his face. (Verse 13.) A moral veil was also upon 
the minds of the Jews, when their law was read. (Verses 
14, 15.) But from true Christians, as living under a so 
much more luminous dispensation, „ the veil is removed, so 
that they, with unveiled, with uncovered, open face, may 
behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. How valuable 
our privileges, how great our responsibility ! 

Chap, iv, 17. 

" For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory." 

It is impossible to do perfect justice to the original of this 
text. The xaQ virsp^oXrjv slg vitsp^oXriv, is, (says Mr. Black- 
wall, in his Sacred Classics), " infinitely emphatical, and 
cannot be expressed by any translation." Assuming, how- 
ever, our version of this passage, as being on the whole 
equally correct with any that can be produced, I request the 
reader's attention for a moment to the beautiful and energetic 
climax here observable, viz : — Glory ; weight of glory ; 
eternal weight of glory ; exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory ; more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Such, afflict- 
ed Christian, will be the certain product and gracious reward 
of those afflictions, which, for Christ's sake, and for con- 
science sake, you undergo in this world of trial. Again, 
very observable is the phraseology here used by the apostle, 
relative to his own afflictions themselves. He calls them 
light afflictions ; or, as it is exactly, the hghtness of our 
afflictions ; i. e. lightness itself. But if we regard the suh- 
ject-matter of his afflictions, viz. bonds, imprisonments, for- 
ty stripes save one, &c., beside those things which cam© 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 113 

upon him daily, the anxious care of all the churches, we 
should be apt to think them uncommonly and exceedingly 
heavy and oppressive ; yet still he calls them light afflic- 
tions — light, not absolutely, but comparatively, when com- 
pared with " the joy that was set before him." Experience 
proves that the oppressiveness, or the contrary, of any trial, 
depends not so much upon what is external in it, as upon 
the temper of mind with which it is met, and sustained. If 
faith, and hope, and love, be iti a low state within us, we 
shall '' faint in the day of adversity ;" but if they be in lively 
and vigorous exercise, "none of these things will move us." 

Chap, viii, 1. 

'' Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of 
God, bestowed on the churches of Macedonia." 

As the phrase " we do you to wit," is now obsolete, 
and scarcely intelligible, it may be well, for the sake of 
common readers, to observe, that the corresponding original 
word signifies simply, " we make known." The idea is, 
^' we make known or declare unto you the grace of God, 
bestowed on the churches of Macedonia." 

Verses 16, 17. 

*' But thanks be to God, v/hich put the same earnest care 
into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted 
the exhortation ; but being more forward, of his own accord 
he went unto you." 

The only remark I make on these verses is, that taken in. 
connection, they shov/ that divine operation on the mind of 
man is perfectly consistent with his liberty. It was God 
who put that earnest care into the heart of Titus for the 
Corinthian church ; and his so doing occasioned, and as it 
were necessitated, Titus' going unto them for their relief. 
At the same time, Titus was altogether free in going, for 
"being more forward, of his own accord he went unto them." 

These texts may serve as specimens of many others that 
might be produced ; and the general truth thereby establish- 
ed is, that divine operation on the heart or will of man, 
whether he be saint or sinner, never infringes his liberty, 
nor at all affects it, otherwise than as it may the more firmly 
10* 



114 CRITICAL AND 

establish it. If God works in men to do, then they will 
necessarily act ; and if he works in them to ivill, also, then 
they will necessarily 3ici freely. 

Chap, xii, 2. 

" I knew a man in Christ, above fomieen years ago ; 
(whether in the body I cannot tell ; or whether out of tlie 
body I cannot tell ; God knoweth) ; such a one caught up 
to the third heaven." 

This last expression is agreeable to the notions of the 
ancient Jews. They supposed three heavens. , The first 
they placed in that part of the aerial regions where the birds 
fly, and the clouds move, and whenice the showers descend. 
Hence we read of the fowls of heaven, Ps. civ, 12 ; of the 
clouds of heaven. Mat. xxiv, 30 ; and of the rain of heaven, 
Deut. xi, 11. The second heaven was that part of supernal 
space called now, as well as then, the stamj heaven, where 
the sun, moon, and stars, and other heavenly bodies, are. 
Hence we read of the stars of heaven, Mark xiii, 25 ; and 
of the host of heaven. Acts vii, 42 ; by which phrase the 
heavenly bodies generally appear to be intended. The 
third, or highest heaven, the Jews considered as the resi- 
dence of the blessed Jehovah, and of the holy angels ; also, 
as the future receptacle and eternal home of all the redeem- 
ed. In this last sense is the word heaven used in the fol- 
lowing places : Mat. v, 45, and xviii, 10 : 2 Cor. v, 1. As 
St. Paul was a Jew, it was of course to be expected, that 
both in his preaching and in his writings, he would use, if 
not the Jewish language, yet at least the Jewish idiom, i. e. 
those modes of speaking which were peculiar to the Hebrew 
language. The above remarks may help us to understand, 
in part, what the apostle meant, when he spake of a certain 
man (i. e. himself) who was caught up to the third heaven." 

Yerse 16. 

"Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with 

guile." 

Either this clause is to be understood as the objection of 
Paul's enemies against him ; as what they said about him ; 
or as an interrogation, like a similar clause in verse 18, res- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 115 

pectirig Titus ; or the word ^oXw must be here used in a 
good sense. In reference to the last interpretation it may 
be observed, that words, the same in the original, and in 
our translation too, are used sometimes in a good sense, 
and sometimes in a bad one. Of these, the words anger, 
emulation, tradition, are specimens. Of these three inter- 
pretations, however, the first, viz. that Paul here alludes to 
an insinuation or objection of his enemies, seems much the 
best. Surely nothing could have been further from the 
apostle's design, in this place, than to encourage pious 
frauds^ falsely so called, or duplicity of any kind ; and they, 
who, whether Papists or Protestants, have understood and 
interpreted the passage in this sense, have not only done 
injustice to the apostle, but, it is to be feared, much injury 
to the cause of Christianity. 



GALATIANS. 

Chapter v, Yerse 4. 

*' Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of 
you are justified by the law ; ye are fallen from grace." 

Those who are but moderately acquainted with the theolo- 
gical controversies of the present day, know very well, that 
the subject oi^ falling from grace has, among others, occu- 
pied much attention, and been the theme of much debate. 
To prove that true Christians may, and sometimes do, fall 
from grace, this passage has with others been frequently ad- 
duced. To some, this verse has probably appeared as suffi- 
cient of itself to support that doctrine ; one reason of which 
is the phraseology here used. For who can doubt whether 
Christians do not, or at least may not, fall from grace, when 
it is here expressly said that they had thus fallen 1 Now, in 
all controversies, it is necessary that the precise point in 
debate should be explicitly stated, and fully understood. 
By falling from grace, as the phrase is used in this dispute, 
is, or ought to be meant, a true Christian's falling from an 
interest in the covenant of grace, from a vital union to his 
Redeemer, and losing entirely all his religion, so as to be 
lost forever. This is in reality the only point relative to this 



116 CRITICAL AND 

subject, about which there is any room for debate between 
the two parties. As it has not been the author's design to 
engage in controversies, further than should appear necessa- 
ry for the execution of his miin purpose, announced in the 
title page ; he will not, of course, at present concern him- 
self with either the arguments for, or objections against, this 
doctrine. He would just observe, however, that this scrip- 
ture has no reference to that doctrine, as above explained ; 
and that even if it had, it could be of no force to support the 
Arminian sentiment respecting it. It is observable, that it 
is only one class of Christians, or of professed Christians, 
that is here said to have fallen from grace, (whatever may 
be intended by that phrase), viz. those who are "justified by 
the law." Strictly speaking, this is impossible. St. Paul 
declares, in Rom. iii, 20, that "by the deeds of the law, 
there shall no flesh be justified in his (God's) sight." All, 
therefore, St. Paul could have meant in the expression, 
"whosoever of you are justified by the law," must have 
been, ' whosoever of you seek to be justified by the law.' 
Such are the* persons St. Paul here mentions, as having 
fallen from grace ; and if by the term law, here, he meant 
the ceremonial law chiefly, (as the context shows, where he 
speaks so much of circumcision), why then the mmiber of 
those here mentioned, as falling, or as having fallen from 
grace, must be still more limited. — Having shown what 
sort of persons are here intended, by those who had falleu 
from grace, it may be well to inquire, in the next place, 
what is intended by the grace itself, from which they had 
fallen. The general meaning of the word X'^piV, is favor, 
kindness granted to the undeserving, to the poor and needy. 
It is used, however, by Christ and by his apostles, with va- 
rious shades of m.eaning, (as every one acquainted with the 
Greek Testament knows), but which it is unnecessary to 
specify in this place. Suffice it to say, that in the passage 
before us, it means the gospel — the gospel plan or scheme 
of salvation, called, in Acts xx, 24, " the gospel of the 
grace of God." In this sense it is used in other passages. 
(See John i, 17 : 2 Cor. vi, 1 : Titus ii, 11.) These re- 
marks seem to furnish the proper clew for the understanding 
of this passage. If we candidly peruse this epistle through- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. ' 117 

out, we shall perceive that there was in the Galatians, or in 
many of them, a strong propensity to seek justification be- 
fore God from the law, or (which is the same thing) on the 
ground of their own observances and works. (See particu- 
larly, chapters i, 6; ii, 21 ; iii, 1 — 4; iv, 10, 11.) To 
bring them off from this legal ground, and to estabhsh them 
on a purely evangelical one, was the main object of St. 
Paul in writing this epistle, as must be evident to every one 
who attentively reads it. And such was manifestly his ob- 
ject in the passage before us, and in the entire context. 
The meaning, therefore, of this passage, must be substan- 
tially this, viz. * If you, Galatians, look to, and depend on, 
the law for justification, Christ is become of no effect, or is 
of no use to you : You have in this case fallen from, and 
given up, and renounced, the gospel plan, which proposes 
to save you by mere sovereign grace.' 

Chap, vi, 4. 

" But let every man prove his own work ; and then shall 
he have rejoicing in himself a:lone, and not in another." 

As to the proper import of the verb (5o5ti[xct^sVw, ( prove) ^ 
see the criticism on 1 Cor.^ xi, 28. The inquiry now before 
us is, what is intended by the last clause of the verse, 
" Then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in 
another?" The meaning evidently is, then shall he have 
that joy which arises from his oimi sight of his good state, 
and not merely from the favorable opinion entertained of 
him by others. In respect to this affair, as well as many 
others, " it is a light thing to be judged of man or of man's 
judgment ;" for this is frequently erroneous. But when we 
ourselves discern the evidences of our good state ; when 
we see them ourselves ; when our own eyes behold them, 
and not another's ; this affords satisfaction* Thus " the 
good man is satisfied /ro?n himself, ^"^ 

Yerse 17. 

" From henceforth let no man trouble me ; for I bear in 
my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." 

" Let no man trouble me," i. e. (as is evident from tho 
context, and from the tenor of the whole epistle), with dis* 



118 CRITICAL AND 

putes and contentions about circumcision, and the other 
pecuharities of Judaism. For this request the apostle sub- 
joins the followmg reason ; " for I bear in my body the 
marks of the Lord Jesus. f What did he mean by those 
marks 1 It is probable he referred to those scars and wounds 
which had been caused by the stripes he had received, and 
by those chains with which he had been bound, and galled, 
in the service of the Lord Jesus. The Greek word ^Tiy^a- 
ca denoted, literally, those marks or brands which were 
sometimes imprinted by the ancients, on their servants and 
soldiers, to show to whom they belonged ; and the apostle 
might have used the word in a similar sense in this place. 
He might have referred to his sriyif^ctray also, as tokens not 
only of his past sufferings in the cause of Christ, but also of 
his continued, indissoluble relation to his adorable Lord, 
notwithstanding all those sufferings. In those scars and 
v/ounds the apostle gloried more, than did the Roman gene- 
ral in those scars and wounds which he had received in 
facing the enemies of his country. We hence learn, that 
the true believer glories iii tribulation undergone for Christ's 
sake ; and that no species nor degree of it, yea, ' neither 
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, 
nor things present, nor things to come, nor the height of 
prosperity, nor the depth of adversity, nor any other crea- 
ture, can separate him from the love of God, which is in 
Christ Jesus his Lord.' Surely a believer, and especially 
a minister of this description, ought not to be needlessly 
troubled or impeded in his career to glory, and in his at- 
tempts to conduct poor sinners there, by " foolish questions 
and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the 
law ;" nor about many other things, too, which are fre- 
quently thrown in his way ; but which are equally '* unpro- 
Stable and vain." 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 119 

EPHESIANS. 

Chapter iv, Terse 5. 

— — " One baptism." 

Those who are much acqiiainled with the merits of the 
baptismal controversy, with that part of it especially which 
relates to the 7node of baptism, know that this expression 
has been often used by the advocates of immersion, to prove 
that there is only one scripture mode of baptism, or that 
water-baptism cannot, consistently with scripture precepts 
and examples, be administered in only one mode. This 
" one baptism" they suppose to be immersion, of course. It 
seems, hov*^ever, that the " one baptism" here mentioned, 
is to be understood chiefly in opposition to those " divers 
washings," S^am^ot^ Qa'n'Tigiioig, mentioned by the apostle in 
his epistle to the Hebrews, (ch. ix, 10), as ha^dng been 
practised by their fathers. Under the Jewish dispensation, 
there were divers v/ashings, for divers purposes ; and pro- 
bably they were performed in divers manners. But under 
the christian dispensation, as being more simple than the 
Jewish, there is only one baptism. Christianity does not 
require the application or use of water, but for one purpose ; 
its import, w-hen administered in due form, and to qualified 
subjects, is ahvays substantially one and the same ; and 
there is no need nor propriety in administering it to the same 
subject but only once, or at one time. It is at least ques- 
tionable, whether the apostle, in these w^ords, had any refer- 
ence at all to the mode of water baptism. Whatever, there- 
fore, the mode may be, must be determined by other passa- 
ges of scripture than this. Som.e, however, suppose (though 
not I think with sufficient grounds) that the apostle refers 
in this place to spiritual baptism. 

Verse 8. 

" Wlierefore, he saith, when he ascended upon high, he 
led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." 

This is a quotation from Ps. Ixviii, 18, and is supposed 
to contain an allusion to the practice of ancient kings, who, 
after victories, and on other great occasions, distributed 
gifts among their subjects. Thus, when the ark of the 



120 CRITICAL AND 

Lord of Hosts had been brought from Kirjath-jearim to the 
city of David, and an oblation had been made of burnt offer- 
ings, David " dealt among all the people, even among the 
whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as to the 
men, to every one, a cake of bread, and a good piece 
of flesh, and a flagon of wine." (2 Samuel vi, 19.) In 
like manner did Solomon, at the dedication of the temple. 
(1 Kings viii, 65.) But behold a greater than either Solo- 
mon or David is here. Greater also is his munificence, for 
it includes spiritual blessings in heavenly things, in Christ 
Jesus. For after he had " spoiled principalities and pow- 
ers, and made a show of them openly," and in testimony of 
complete triumph, had led captivity captive, and ascended 
up on high, he also dispersed gifts among his subjects, 
" And he gave some apostles, (i. e. some to be apostles), 
some (to be) prophets, some (to be) evangelists, and some 
(to be) pastors, and some (to he) teachers ; and all for the 
most important purposes, even " for the perfecting of the 
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the 
body of Christ." 

Verse 30. 

*' And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are 
sealed unto the day of redemption." 

The sealing of the Spirit, here mentioned, seems to be a 
metaphor taken from a practice of merchants, viz. putting 
a certain mark, stamp, or seal, on their goods, whereby they 
might be known to be theirs. Or the phrase may refer, 
perhaps more probably, to the ancient custom of setting a 
seal or mark on the bodies of soldiers and servants, espe- 
cially on their foreheads and hands ; a fact, which, by the 
way, may assist in illustrating those texts, Ezek. ix, 4, and 
Rev. vii, 3. The day of redemption must here denote the 
day of the general resurrection and final judgment. (See 
a similar phrase used in Rom. viii, 23.) This passage^ 
then, rightly understood, not only shows that God's servants 
have his peculiar distinguishing mark or seal upon them, 
which is his own moral image, but also appears strongly in 
point, to support the doctrine of their final perseverance and 
eternal happiness in the kingdom and favour of God. 



, 



Explanatory notes. 121 

Chap, vi, 19. 

" And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that 
1 may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery 
of the gospel." 

Many scriptural words have been and still are misused, 
and made to convey such meanings as, to say the least, are 
quite foreign from their original import. The remark is ap- 
plicable, in a degree, to the words heresy, schism, tradition, 
&c.; and still more so to the one now before us. The 
word mystery (in the Greek, ^vsttj^iov) has been and now is 
used by the Papists, to denote the sacraments of the New 
Testament, and especially that of the eucharist. By Pro- 
testants, or by many of them, it has been used to denote 
something incomprehensible and unintelligible by the human 
mind. Thus, the co-existence of three persons in one God, 
and of two natures in the person of Jesus Christ, they have 
declared to be mysterious ; meaning thereby, that by the 
mind of man they cannot be fully comprehended. But the 
Greek word iivgrri^iov signifies, primarily and properly, nei- 
ther of these, but something hidden, concealed, in opposi- 
tion to its being revealed and known. For proof of this, we 
need only to attend to the etymology of the word itself, and 
to the connection and sense in which it is almost invariably 
used in the New Testament. 

1st. Its etymology. Mu^t^^jov is derived either from the 
Greek word /xusiv, to shut up, to conceal ; or from the Hebrew 
noun MiSTAR — a thing hidden, concealed ; which is from 
the verb satar, to hide, conceal. The etymological im- 
port of the word, therefore, is not something incomprehen- 
sible, but something hitherto concealed — not revealed. 
And that such is in fact its proper meaning, is yet further 
evident — 

2d. From the connection and sense in which the word is 
commonly, almost invariably, used in the New Testament. 
See, among numerous others, the following passages : — 
Mat. xiii, 11 — " Unto you it is given to know the mysteries 
of the kingdom of heaven." But how could the disciples 
know those mysteries, ifthey were incomprehensible or un- 
intelligible? Rom. xvi, 25, 26 — *' According to the reve- 
lation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world 

11 



122 CRITICAL AND 

began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of 
the prophets, according to the commandment of the ever- 
lasting God, made known to all nations, for the obedience 
of faith." Here a mystery is explained to be that which 
was kept secret, but which had been since revealed and made 
manifest, and made known to all nations. 1 Cor. xv, 51— 
"Behold I shew you a mystery." What mystery 1 The 
apostle proceeds, in the three succeeding verses, to tell us 
what it is. It is, in short, the mystery of the general resur- 
rection, and of that glorious transformation v/hich the bodies 
of the saints are then to experience. This subject had 
been kept concealed from the pagan Gentiles. The evi- 
dence in favor of a resurrection to a future life, from the 
light of nature, their only guide, was at the best presumptive 
merely, and was too weak, they thought, to render the doc- 
trine credible. Hence the Greeks not only disbelieved, 
but derided it. (Acts xvii, 32.) To them, to the Corinth- 
ians in their pagan state, this doctrine had been a mystery ; 
i. e. it had not been revealed to them ; but having been 
shewed, revealed to them by the apostle, it was a mystery 
to them no longer. Certainly it was not to such of them as 
beUeved in the apostle's divine inspiration, and credited his 
testimony. Once more : Col. i, 25, 26 — " The word of 
God ; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and 
from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints." 
Here a mystery is, said to be that which bad once been hid, 
but has since been made manifest. I shall quote at present 
no more passages ; but would merely advise the reader, 
who may not be satisfied with the interpretation above given, 
and still adheres to the too prevailing modern one, to attend 
carefully to the following places, which are, I believe, all the 
rest whore the word mystery occurs in the New Testament, 
viz : Mark iv, 11 : Luke viii, 10 : Rom. xi, 25 : 1 Cor. ii, 
6, iv, 1, xiii, 2, and xiv, 2 : Eph. i, 9, iii, 3 — 9, v, 32 : Col. 
ii, 2, and iv, 3 : 2 Thcss. ii, 7 : 1 Tim. iii, 9, and iii, 16 : 
Rev. i, 20, X, 7, and xvii, 5. He will perceive that in al- 
most all the above texts, mystery {jxxigriq^iav) denotes not 
something incomprehensible or unintelligible ; but some- 
thing which had been kept secret, but is now revealed, de- 
clared in the word of God, declared by him for our instruc- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 123 

tion, and which may of course be in some good measure 
known and understood by us. The practical use to be 
made of all that has been said on this article is, that we 
should be very careful to use scriptural words in their primi- 
tive and proper sense. To the neglect of this, or to the 
contrary practice, is to be attributed, in part, a great pro- 
portion of those doctrinal and practical errors, which have 
so much abounded in Christendom. 



PHILIPPIANS. 

Chapter i, Verse 10. 

" That ye may approve things that are excellent ;" or, 
'^ that ye may try the things that differ,' as the clause may be 
Tendered. 

These words, therefore, may be understood as expressing 
the apostle's wish and petition, not merely that the Phihp- 
pian Christians might cordially approve of those things which 
were really excellent ; but also that their intellectual facul- 
ties might be exercised in distinguishing truth from error ; 
that thus they might discover and determine what things 
were really excellent, and thus v/orthy of approbation. How 
indispensable then the duty, and how urgent the necessity, 
of examining, of searching the scriptures, and of Investiga- 
ting subjects for ourselves ; for if we neglect this duty, and 
depend on the mere opinions of other men, v/e may indeed 
be " ever learning," after a sort, but shall be apt " never to 
come to the (saving) knowledge of the truth." 

Yerse 23. 

" For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to de- 
part, and to be with Christ, w^hich is far better." 

This is to be classed among those texts of scripture, which 
exhibit the doctrine of a separate, intermediate state of ex- 
istence ; for it expresses the conviction of an inspired apos- 
tle, that immediately on his departure from this world, he 
should be with Christ. Thus to be, St. Paul says, is far 
better than to remain here ; which could not be true, other- 
wise than on the ground that he would then be in a state of 



124 CRITICAL AND 

both conscious and happy existence. In a word, the text 
before us teaches at once the doctrines both of a separate 
state, and of the immediate happiness of Christians at death. 

Chap, hi, 2. 

"Beware of the concision." 

The word xararo/x^jv, rendered concision, and which may 
with equal propriety be rendered excision, seems in this place 
to denote those judaising teachers, who, in the apostolic 
age, infested not only the Philippian church, but many other 
churches also ; and who, as this characteristic word imports, 
cut off, or cut down. Indeed, the word may represent both 
their works and their punishment. By insisting so much 
on the necessity of circumcision, in order to salvation, (see 
Acts XV, 1), and by their incessant commixture of Judaism 
with Christianity, they cut down, as it were, the fundamental 
pillars of the latter, and cut off or frustrated the hopes of 
individuals, since " other foundation could no man lay, than 
that which was laid, which was Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. iii, 
11.) The doom or punishment of these men may also have 
been referred to. By cutting off all well-grounded hopes 
of salvation from others, they did the same thing for them- 
selves. By shutting up the kingdom of heaven against other 
men, they shut it against themselves, also, and were thus 
left to punish themselves, by being the authors of their own 
destruction. When the blind lead the blind, both will fall 
into the ditch. (Luke vi, 39.) 

Yerse 11. 

" If, by any means, I might attain unto the resurrection 
of the dead." 

This cannot mean the literal and general resurrection. 
For to the resurrection here spoken of, St. Paul represents 
it as difficult to attain ; and from the following verses it 
appears, that whether he should eventually attain to it or not, 
would depend on his own faithfulness or unfaithfulness. 
But in the literal resurrection, all men will participate, whe- 
ther faithful or unfaithful, whether good or bad ; " for the 
hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall 
hear his voice, and shall come forth," (John v, 28, 29.) 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 125 

By the resurrection of the dead, therefore, St. Paul must 
have here intended the receiving of that glorious and spiritual 
body mentioned in verse 21st, and there represented as op- 
posed to his present vile body. Or to express it otherwise ; 
in John v, 29, the I^ord Jesus speaks of " the resurrection 
of life/' and of "the resurrection of damnation." Now, it 
is the first of these resurrections that the apostle refers to in 
the words before us. even the resurrection unto eternal life. 
Such was the resurrection that the apostle here represents 
himself as so diligently seeking. , 

Yerse 20. 

"For our convei-eation is in heaven." 

Thb word conversation, in its vulgar sense, denotes fa- 
miliar discourse — verbal communication. Sometimes it is 
used to signify intercourse, behavior, &c. But neither of 
these terms expresses the full meaning of the Greek noun 
here used. This is TToX/Vsjixa, citizenship. The design of 
the apostle, therefore, in this expression, was to assert not 
only the practice, but also the heavenly relation of himself 
and of his Phiiippian brethren, and Consequently of ail true 
Chi'istians. 



COLOSSIANS. 



Chapter i, Yerse 24. 

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up 
that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, 
for his body's sake, which is the church." 

What does the apostle mean by " that which is behind of 
the afflictions of Christ'?" Certainly he does not riiean that 
the sufferings of Christ were defective and insufficient, in 
the expiatory and propitiatory sense. We cannot suppose 
that he would thus have implicitly contradicted the evident 
import of the last words of his dying Lord — " It is finished." 
Besides, even if there had been any deficiency or insuffi- 
ciency in the sufferings of Christ in this view, we cannot 
suppose that the apostle would ever have seriously thought 
of making up this deficiency by his own personal sufferings, 
and thus have placed himself, as it were, on a level with 
11* 



126 CRITICAL AND 

Christ, by undertaking to perform, in conjunction with him, 
the peculiar, appropriate work of an atoning Saviour ! By 
<' the afflictions of Christ," in this passage, must be intend- 
ed afflictions endured ybr tlie sake of Christ ; for the defence 
of his truth, and the advancement of his cause on earth. 
Christ himself had suffered much for these purposes, as well 
as in the capacity of an atoning and propitiatory sacrifice. 
But there was something behind yet. His people, and es- 
pecially his ministers, must not only labor, but suffer much, 
in order that the great and most benevolent purposes for 
which he came into the world might be accomplished ; that 
his body, the church, might be edified and enlarged to the 
degree designed in the divine counsels, and that the glory 
of God might be thereby promoted. The faithful preaching 
of the gospel was always in those days attended with many 
sufferings. But under all these the apostle rejoiced, in view 
of " the joy set before him," and of the good which would 
thereby accrue to others. In another view, also, these his 
sufferings might be called the sufferings of Christ, viz. as 
they, or many of them, were of the same kind that Christ 
underwent, and were endured with the same spirit. 

Chap, ii, 8. 

" Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and 
vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments 
of the world, and not after Christ." 

The word translated spoil is a compound, being derived 
from ^uXa, spoils, and ayw, to lead away, or carry off. Pri- 
marily, it relates to, and is descriptive of the conduct of a 
victorious enemy, who, having subdued his antagonist, dis- 
possesses him of his treasures, and carries them off as spoils 
from the field of battle. How forcibly expressive, then, is 
it of that complete moral subjection and ruin, to which the 
apostle considered the Colossians as exposed from philoso- 
phy. The 9<Xogo(p(a, however, which the apostle here men- 
tions, cannot intend true and genuine philosophy ; for it 
would be very absurd to pretend that this can ever be hos- 
tile, or in any way injurious to Christianity. Neither does 
Christianity forbid or discourage our attention to the sciences 
generally, but is friendly to them all, when they are pursued 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 127 

and cultivated in due subordination to our immortal inte- 
rests. It is too notorious to be denied, that most of the 
literature and science that have been in the world, s-ince the 
commencement of the christian era, have been in christian 
nations, and have been owing, no doubt, to the fostering 
influence of Christianity itself. But by philosophy, in this 
passage, the apostle intends what may be called philoso- 
phism, false philosophy, vain and deceitful, as in this same 
verse he describes it ; or " science, falsely so called," as in 
1 Tim. vi, 20. In a word, the object of St. Paul, in this 
verse, was to warn us against being corrupted from " the 
simplicity that is in Christ," by infidel philosophy on the 
one hand, or by Jewish or any other human traditions and 
inventions on the other. How seasonable, how important, 
the warning in our own days, also ! " He that hath an ear, 
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." 

Yerse 18. 

" Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary 
humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those 
things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly 
mind." 

The only particular in this verse which seems to require 
illustration, is " worshipping of angels." What is intended 
by such worship 1 To understand this subject correctly, it 
must be remembered that the primitive church, though so 
highly favored with divine inspiration and apostolic instruc- 
tion, soon began to be infested and corrupted by pagan phi- 
losophy and Jewish traditions. And perhaps no particular 
church was more so than the one at Colosse. (See ch. ii, 
8, 16, &c.) This worshipping of angels seems to have 
originated among the Pagans. At first, it seems, those 
angels, or imaginary angels, were regarded by them as 
mediators only between the Deity and themselves ; but that 
in process of time, as might have been expected, they be- 
came more directly the objects of religious adoration them- 
selves. Indeed, the process in this matter, among the hea- 
then, appears to have been much the same as it was after- 
wards in the Roman papal church, in respect to the images 
of departed saints. Accordingly, in ecclesiastical history, 



128 CRITICAL AND 

image-worship itself, as practised by that church, is consi- 
dered as having come from the Gentiles. (See Milner, vol. 
iii, page 154.) These remarks may serve to prepare the 
way for our understanding what is here meant by the wor- 
shipping of angels. Certain persons, it seems, in the church 
at Colosse, were still so much under the influence of their 
old pagan philosophy and superstition, that they were for 
introducing angels into their worship ; i. e. for introducing 
angels as helps in divine worship, as mediators, pretending 
it was too much, too great arrogance for surh mean crea- 
tures as men were, to attempt to worship ths Majesty of 
Heaven, without their mediation. There was an appear- 
ance of humility in all this ; but it was nothing more. It 
was a mere voluntary humility ; one entirely of their own 
invention and choice ; such an humility as Jehovah never 
required, and would never approve : Yea, it was no true 
humility. It deserved a far different name. It was in reat- 
ity, pride, rank pride, as it led the subjects of it to " exer- 
cise themselves in great m.atters, and in things too high for 
them ;" to pry presumptuously into the invisible world, and 
to attempt to understand and teach such things concerning 
angels as are- no where revealed. Thus they intruded into 
those things which they had not seen, and could not see, 
nor know, and became, of course, vainly puffed up by their 
fleshly minds. Besides, by introducing the worship or me- 
diation of angels, they would rob the Redeemer of his ap- 
propriate glory ; for he is the one and the only mediator 
between God and men. (1 Tim. ii, 5.) No wonder, then, 
that the apostle should give such a caution against the wor- 
shipping of angels. 

Cha.p. Ill, 14. 

" And above all these things, put on charity, which is the 
bond of perfcctness." 

It is probable that most readers consider the word ahove^ 
as here denoting preference ; as if St. Paul had said, * Put 
on charity, as preferable to all the other virtues,' mentioned 
in verse 12. Indeed, charity, or love, must be allowed to 
have the pre-eminence over all the other characteristics of 
the true believer. (See 1 Cor. xii, 31, and ch. xiii, adjinem.) 
It does not, however, appear to have been the design of thii 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 129 

passage, to recognise such pre-eminence. The passage is 
supposed to be figurative, and to refer to the manner in 
which the ancients, and especially the ancient soldiers, were 
clothed. They used to have a girdle tied around and over 
their other garments. That girdle served as a bond or liga- 
ment, to keep their other garments tight and close together. 
To a similar tendency and operation of charity, the apostle 
seems here to refer. Charity, or love, would prove as a 
"bond of perfectness," or a perfect bond, to keep together 
and adjust all the other graces and gifts of the Christian. 
How important, therefore, that in love to God, and in bro- 
therly love, we should " increase more and more." (1 Thes. 
iv, 9, 10.) 

I. THESSALONIANS. 

Chapter ii, Verse 17. 

" But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short 
time, in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abun- 
dantly to see your face, with much desire." 

The apostle here refers to the event related in Acts xvii^ 
10. In consequence of the insurrection, menaces, and vio- 
lence of the Jews, the brethren were obliged to send away 
himself and Silas by night, from Thessalonica to Berea ; 
and his design, in the ^ret part of this verse, was to declare 
not only the fact of his having been then separated from 
them, but also the manner of such separation, i. e. as it res- 
pected his own feelings. It v/as, in short, as the original 
imports, like that of children suddenly torn from their affec- 
tionate parents, or otherwise deprived of them, and thus 
made orphans. How pecuhar, how tender, and strong, are 
the feelings of pious ministers towards their people ! 

Chap, hi, 13. 

" To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable 
in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints." 

The word saints, as commonly used, denotes the "re- 
deemed from among men." It is well known, however, bj 
every one acquainted with the original, that the word aj^joi. 



130 CRITICAL AND 

translated saints, is a general word, and that it is with equal 
propriety applicable to any intelligent beings, possessing 
sanctity of character. It is applied to God the Father, 1 
Vet. i, 15 ; to Jesus Christ; Mark i, 24 ; to the Holy Spirit, 
Mat. i, 18 ; to the good angels, Luke ix, 26 ; to the Old 
Testament prophets, Luke i, 70 ; to both the prophets and 
apostles, and to behevers generally. Acts ix, 13, 41. In 
short, the word, when used without a noun, and ^vitll the 
article, as in this passage, signifies the holy ones. If now 
the inquiry be, what class of holy beings is intended by this 
phrase in the verse before us, the answer is, probably, the 
angels. It should be remembered, that in this place the 
apostle is speaking of the second coming of Jesus Christ- — 
of his coming to judge the world. Now, we are , expressly 
told in other places, that when he shall come for this pur- 
pose, the angels shall descend with and attend him. (See 
Mat. XXV, 31:2 Thes. i, 7.) Again, it will be naturally 
impossible for the redeemed saints to accompany their Sa- 
viour, in his final descent from heaven, and th?.t, too, in 
their perfect man, consisting of both soul and body. And 
much less will all of them be able thus to attend him on that 
great occasion, because all their bodies (those only of Enoch 
and Elijah excepted, and those excepted who shall be alive 
on the earth at that time) will then be in their, graves. li^,or 
the Lord Jesus will descend froni heaven with a shout, with 
the voice of the archangel, and the trump of Gon, before 
even the dead in Christ shall arise. (Ch. iv, 16.) It seems, 
necessary, therefore, with McKnight, Rosenmuller, and 
others, to refer the term saints, as here used, to the holy 
angels ; they being the saints, or the holy ones, whom St. 
Paul seems to have intended in this passage. 

CiiAP. IV, 15. 

" For this we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that 
we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, 
shall not prevent them which are asleep." 

The sense appears to be this, viz : We, i. e. those saints 
who shall remain alive at the second coming of Christ, shall 
not enter heaven any sooner than those other saints, who had 
already died, or who would have died before the coming of 



EXPLANAl'ORY NOTES. 131 

the Lord, and who are then to arise ; but all those who 
should then have " fallen asleep in Christ,'^ and all others 
who shall then be alive, and shall have been redeemed to 
God by his blood, shall be admitted to that holy and happy- 
world at one and the same time. 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



Chapter it, Yerses 7, 8. 

" For the mystery of iniquity doth already work ; only- 
he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord 
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy 
with the brightness of his coming." 

By the mystery of iniquity, or of lawlessness, is to be un- 
derstood, generally, antichristianism, which began to appear 
at so early a period as the apostolic age, in the ambitious, 
domineering spirit of some ministers, in the factious, schis- 
matical spirit of many professors, and in various corruptions 
of christian doctrine ; and which would more fully appear 
in these respects, and in others, in subsequent ages of the 
church, under a papal form. The phrase, " he who now let- 
teth," (or hindereth, withstandeth), is supposed to denote 
the imperial Homan power or civil government, which, from 
motives of policy, operated as a check upon ecclesiastical 
predominance and corruptions, and would thus operate for 
a considerable season longer. But afterwards, after the 
then existing impediment should have been removed, the 
wicked or lawless one, i. e. the papacy, with all its peculiar 
deformity, would appear ; which accordingly was or began 
to be the case, A. D. 606. But this antichristian power 
was to '' endure but for a while." The apostle expressly 
predicts his overthrow, and declares by what means it should 
be accomplished : " Whom the Lord shall consume with 
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness 
of his coming." The consumption and destruction here 
predicted, must be principally of the moral kind. This ap- 
pears, whether we consider the means with which they should 
be accomplished, viz. the spirit of the Lord's mouth, and 



132 CRITICAL AND 

the brightness of his coming ; i. e. generally, the influences 
of his Spirit, accompanying the bright display of his truth, 
especially in the faithful preaching of it ; (means evidently 
suited to accomplish no destruction but, that of sin) ; or the 
fact, that the Papists, as a body of people, have not yet 
been literally destroyed, though this awful prophecy has 
been fulfilling against them three hundred years, but are still 
very numerous— their number being supposed to amount to 
140,000,000. The destruction of this antichristian power, 
as such, began at the time of the great reformation, A. D. 
1517, has been going on ever since, and will be completed 
at the close of the 1260 years. 

Verses 11, 12. 

" And for this cause, God shall send them strong delu- 
sion, that they should believe a lie ; that they all might be 
damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in un- 
righteousness." 

The 11th verse, if literally interpreted, would certainly 
show, that there is some agency of God in sin, but doubtless 
such an one as neither reflects on his immaculate purity, on 
the one hand, nor abridges human liberty, on the other. 
The 12th verse illustrates the true cause of the condemna- 
tion and final ruin of sinners. This is their own wicked 
choice. It is their being " pleased with unrighteousness." 



I. TIMOTHY. 

Chapter ii, Verse 4. 

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto 
the knowledge of the truth." 

As this text has been much used in the universalian 
controversy, and is much relied on by the advocates for the 
final salvation of all mankind, it has become, for this reason, 
very important to investigate its true meaning. To this 
end let it be observed, 

1st. The passage may express merely God's willingness 
that all men should be saved. Indeed, although the verb 
^tXw sometimes expresses wish^ desire, &c. yet, according 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 133 

to Schrevelius, mere willingness is its primary signification. 
Now, in this sense, Jehovah, undoubtedly, willeth that all 
men should be saved. For he saith, " Have I any pleasure 
at all that the wicked should die ; and not that he should re- 
turn from his ways and live?' Far from this : " As I live, 
saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." 
(Ezek. xviii, 23, and xxxiii, 11.) Such is the benevolence of 
the blessed God, that it is morally impossible he should be 
pleased with the death or misery of any human beings in it- 
self considered. Human happiness and human misery be- 
ing considered abstractedly, the former would, in nis mind, 
be infinitely preferable to the latter. Hence, then, and in 
this sense, he may be said to will the salvation of all men. 
But this does not imply that all men will in fact be saved. 
If from the mere goodness of God, and his willingness that 
all men should be happy, we may conclude that all will in 
fact be saved, and be eternally happy in another world ; 
from the same premises we may conclude as well against 
undeniable matter of fact, viz. the existence of sin and mis- 
ery in the present world; for the principle of the reasoning 
is in both cases the same. If because the Lord is good, he 
will necessarily save all men from eternal misery, then for 
the same reason, one would think, would he save them from 
temporal misery, also, or prevent their enduring it, which we 
know he does not. If from the mere willingness of God 
that all men should be holy and happy in the future world, 
we may conclude that all will be holy and happy there ; then 
from his willingness that they all should be holy and happy 
in this world, also, wo might conclude that they all would, 
while here, be both holy and happy. But the conclusion 
does by no means result from the premises in either case. 
Though the Lord be willing that all sinners should be saved, 
if they would be willing, yet none of them are in their natural 
state willing to be saved, i. e. in his own way ; and to say 
that this natural unwillingness will ever be overcome, or in 
any way removed from all sinners, is to beg the question. 
And if it could be proved that the phrase, "who will have all 
men to be saved," means that God actually wishes, desires 
the salvation of all men> (which, in itself considered, he 

12 



134 CRITICAL AND 

doubtless doth wish) ; and if it should hence be concluded 
that all men will hereafter and eventually be holy and hap- 
py ; the inquiry is, why then are they not all holy and happy 
in this world ; for is not the latter an object of divine desire, 
equally and in the same sense with the former 1 But 

2d. In this verse, the apostle may refer to God's precep- 
tive will or command ; and in this sense, also, it is his will 
that all should be saved. For not only doth he direct that 
his gospel be preached to every creature, but "now com- 
mandeth all men every where to repent." (Acts xvii, 31.) 
And says St. John, " This is his commandment, that we 
should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ." A 
command to repent of sin, and to believe in Christ, amounts 
to the same thing with a command to be saved ; because 
such repentance and faith are by a divine constitution con- 
nected with the salvation of the soul, and are required for 
that purpose. But whatever may be the import of the word 
loill, (which is the key to the whole passage), it is obvious 
that the word itself extends alike to both clauses of the verse. 
Let us read it again : " Who will have all men to be saved, 
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." In the same 
sense, therefore, in which God willeth all men to be saved, 
doth he will them all to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
JSTow the latter clause may be interpreted in perfect consis- 
tency with either, and with both of the above mentioned 
constructions. For that God is ivilling that all should 
come to the knowledge of the truth, appears from his direc- 
tion to his ministers, to preach his gospel to every crea- 
ture. (Mark xvi, 15.) And that he commandeth all who 
have his written word to come to this knowledge, will not 
be denied by such as have properly read their Bibles, and 
believe that they are his word. The heathen also have a 
law, (Rom. ii, 14), and are thereby required to attend to 
truth and duty, so far as they can be learned from the light 
of nature, and are inexcusable because they do not. (Rom. 
i, 20.) But to carry the matter further — to say that the 
Lord hath purposed that all should come to the knowledge 
of the truth in this world, is saying far too much, if it be 
true, that what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed none can 
disannul, (Isa. xiv, 27) ; and that what he hath determined 



EXPLANATOPwY NOTES. 135 

shall be done, (Dan. xi, 36) ; for it is notorious that all 
have not, and do not come to the knowledge of the truth. 
The purpose of God, and the providence or providential 
agency of God, must always correspond to each other ; for 
the latter is only an execution of the former. God doth as 
he eternally meant to do, and eternally meant to do just as 
he doth. None can reasonably deny this. If, therefore, it 
ever were really his purpose that all men should come to 
the knowledge of the truth in this world, he would have so 
ordered things in his providence, that this event should have 
Taken place. But as in fact the event never has taken 
place, we must conclude that God never purposed, never 
decreed that it should — never willed it, in this sense. On 
the whole, it seems that there is no consistent and proper 
way of interpreting this passage, but what is contained in 
one or the other of the two constructions above mentioned. 

Verses 14, 15. 

" And Adam was not deceived ; but the woman, being 
deceived, was in the transgression. Notwithstanding, she 
shall be saved in child-bearing, if they continue in faith, and 
charity, and holiness, with sobriety." 

But is there not decisive proof, from Gen. iii, 6, that Ad- 
am was deceived, and was a transgressor in the affair of 
the forbidden fruit, and as really so as Eve ? St. Paul's 
meaning is, that Adam was not first deceived ; and the 
truth of this appears from Moses' account of the temptation. 
It thence appears that the woman was first, in both the de- 
ception and the transgression : Yea, in a sense, it may be 
said that Adam was not deceived by the serpent at all ; for, 
from the Mosaic narrative, it appears that his transgression 
was in direct compliance, not with the temptation of the 
devil, but with the solicitations of the woman. But what 
can be the meaning of verse 15th? That the child-bearing 
there mentioned is not to be understood literally, is at least 
probable, from the immediately subjoined condition of her 
being saved therein or thereby, viz. her continuance in 
faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety. But that im- 
pious and infamous women are conducted through the pains 
of the literal parturition, as safely, and perhaps as frequent- 



136 CRITICAL AND 

ly, as those of the most exemplary virtue, is too evident to 
be denied. The word saved here seems to denote spiritu- 
al salvation ; and the word child-bearing, the child born — 
the seed of the woman — 'the Messiah. The preposition 
here translated in — " in child-bearing," when coupled with 
and governing a genitive case, as in this instance, denotes 
frequently the cause, either efficient or instrumental, as in 
John i, 3 ; Lukei, 70 ; Rom. v, 11, and iii, 24 ; and such 
appears to be its import in this place. The meaning of the 
apostle, then, appears to have been this : — ' Though the 
woman was first deceived, and in the transgression, yet 
her condition, in respect to pardon and eternal happiness, is 
by no means desperate ; for she may, nay, she certainly 
shall be saved, in, through, or by that glorious Redeemer, 
who was to be (and has been) born of her ; provided only 
she obeys him, in the exercise of faith, and charity, and ho- 
liness, with sobriety.' This is a very ancient interpretation, 
and appears to be the best that has been given of this pas- 
sage. 

Chap, iv, 1 — 4. 

'' Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter 
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to sedu- 
cing spirits, and doctrines of devils ; speaking lies in hy- 
pocrisy ; having their conscience seared with a hot iron ; 
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, 
which God hath created, to be received with thanksgiving 
of them which believe and know the truth." 

The Protestants appear to be correct in their application 
of this paragraph of scripture to the Papists, chiefly because 
the characteristics herein enumerated have been so peculiar- 
ly exhibited by the latter. The dtdagxakiaig (5ai(xoviwv, trans- 
lated " doctrines of devils," signify exactly doctrines of 
demons. (See an explanation of this word in the remarks 
on 1 Cor. X, 20.) But here arises the inquiry, whether we 
are by this expression to understand doctrines taught by 
demons, or doctrines concerning demons ? The last is doubt- 
less the true construction of the phrase, viz. doctrines con- 
cerning demons. The Papists have in fact given heed, and 
still give heed, to seducing spirits. They have also taught 
many doctrines concerning demons; have recommended 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 137 

and established among themselves images, and image-wor- 
ship, and said many equally strange and groundless things, 
about the efficacy of the intercessions of departed saints, 
and even represented those saints as the proper objects of 
religious adoration. The propriety, therefore, of applying 
these verses primarily and chiefly to them, cannot be rea- 
sonably questioned. 

Chap, v, 9. 

*' Let not a widow be taken into the number, under three- 
score years old, having been the wife of one man." 

Into what number does the apostle here mean ? Surely 
not the number of church members ; for neither of the con- 
ditions here specified, viz. being of the age of sixty years, 
or having been the wife of one man, could have been a pre- 
requisite for an admission into that society. Into the visible 
church a young person, and a person who had always lived 
in celibacy, were as admissible (other things being equal) as 
any other person. The number here intended must have 
been the number of those who were to be maintained by the 
charity of the church, and perhaps to act as deaconesses in 
it. To this interpretation the whole context obviously 
points. (See particularly, verses 3, 4, 8, and 16.) 

Chap, vi, 8. 

" And having food and raiment, let us be therewith 
content." 

The original word translated raiment, properly signifies 
covering. It is a generic or general word, and in its appli- 
cation ought not of course to be restricted to mere raiment, 
the covering for the body. It is, at least, and with equal 
propriety, applicable to a dwelling-place, a house, or house- 
covering. (See Rosenmuiler, in loco.) This exhortation 
of the apostle, therefore, does not forbid, but implicitly al- 
lows us to be suitably careful and laborious, for the requisite 
accommodations and comforts of life generally, such as 
food, raiment, dwelling houses, &c. for ourselves and fami- 
lies. At the same time it must be conceded, that by im- 
plication it forbids us to seek after more, i. e. for ourselves 
and ours ; and like the similar precept in Mat. vi, 25, for- 
bids anxiety about even these. 
12* 



138 CRITICAL AND 



II. TIMOTHY. 

Chapter i, Verse 10. 

" Who hath abolished death, and hath brought Hfe and 
knmortality to light through the gospel." 

By life and immortality, or incorruption, some have un- 
derstood Jesus Christ himself particularly, as exemplify- 
ing in his own person, and by his resurrection from the 
dead, that life and immortality which are to be the inherit- 
ance of all true believers. The meaning of the expression 
they suppose to be much the same with that of 1 John i, 2, 
" the life was manifested ;" i. e. Christ, our life, (Col. iii, 
4), was manifested. But does it not seem rather absurd to 
say, that Christ brought himself to light 1 The phrase " life 
and immortality," is a Hebraism for immortal life. The 
common understanding of this text, and which amounts to 
this, viz. that Jesus Christ hath brought the immortality of 
the soul, and a future state, and particularly the eternal life 
of the righteous, clearly to light by the gospel, seems alto- 
gether the best. It should, however, be observed, that the 
form of expression here used, viz. brought these subjects to 
light, or illustrated them by the gospel, seems to convey an 
intimation that these glorious truths themselves were con- 
tained in the Old Testament, though not therein so clearly 
revealed ; a position, by the way, supportable from several 
passages of scripture. (See among others, Mat. xxii, 29 — 
36.) 

Chap, ii, 4. 

'' No man that warreth, entangleth himself with the affairs 
of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to 
be a soldier." 

It was a statute of the Roman government, that a certain 
class of their soldiers, called the legionary soldiers, should 
not engage in agriculture, merchandise, or, in short, in any 
other occupation which would divert their minds from the 
appropriate business of their own profession. To that stat- 
ute, and to the practice of the Roman soldiers consequent 
thereon, St. Paul is supposed to refer in this passage. His 
obvious design was, to illustrate, by a reference to the duty 
and practice of those who were then engaged in carnal war- 
fare, the duty of the minister of the gospel, the soldier of the 



II 

[id J 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 139 

cross ; to show that he, also, should not permit any worldly 
business or recreations to divert his mind from such supreme 
and constant attention to his appropriate work, as its unut- 
terable importance, difficulty, and responsibility, demand. 
It is, by the way, natural to remark, that if such be the duty 
of christian ministers ; if, in particular, they so do — are 
thus devoted to their work ; their people are under the 
strongest obhgations to afford them a competent worldly 
maintenance. Humanity and justice, in this case, require 
it ; not to insist at present on those numerous texts of scrip- 
ture which require this duty at their hands. 

Chap, hi, 16. 
" All scripture is given by inspiration of God." 
Of all the passages commented upon in this work, none 
is more practically important, and none more deserves our 
serious attention, than this. It is here said, '' all scripture 
is given by inspiration of God," or is " divinely inspired," 
as 6eoir\isvsToi may be rendered. St. Paul must have here 
referred directly and chiefly to the scriptures of the Old Tes- 
tament, because, as appears from the preceding verse, they 
were those scriptures which Timothy had known from his 
childhood. But there is good reason to believe, that in 
Timothy's childhood no part of the New Testament was 
extant in the written form. But though in this passage, 
Paul must have had his eye directly upon the Old Testa- 
ment scriptures, the declaration here made is doubtless true 
in reference to those of the New also. All that seems ne- 
cessary for the illustration of this text, may be embraced in 
the answers to these two questions, viz : What is meant by 
divine inspiration, and what by the declaration, all scripture 
is divinely inspired ] 

I. What is meant by divine inspiration, in this passage 1 
No doubt we are to understand by it, in general, some di- 
vine agency or influence on the minds of the sacred penmen, 
when they wrote the holy scriptures. So far all theological 
writers are agreed. But when they proceed further, and 
attempt to tell us what sort of agency or influence that was ; 
and one says it was the inspiration of suggestion ; another 
says it was the inspiration of superintendency ; and another 



140 CRITICAL AND 

thinks that in respect to some parts of scripture, it ought to 
be called the inspiration of elevation ; we perceive they are 
far from being agreed in their views on this point. It may 
be most useful for common readers, and may, therefore, best 
comport with the design of the present work, if (instead of 
adopting these expressions, or showing what is meant pre- 
cisely by them) I should comprehend, in a few particulars, 
what seems to be most important in relation to this subject. 
I remark, then, 

1st. Divine inspiration is two-fold ; it relates to what ho- 
ly men of old spake, and to what they wrote. The apostle 
Peter applies it to what they spake, where he says, "Holy 
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost ;" 
that is, when they delivered or uttered their predictions. 
And whenever those holy men spake in the name of God, 
and delivered the divine message to their fellow men in any 
form, whether as a prediction or as a doctrine, or as a re- 
proof, or as a command, they were divinely inspired, or 
were " moved by the Holy Ghost," in so doing. But in the 
text now commented upon, divine inspiration is predicated 
of what they wrote, of the record which they made. " All 
scripture is given by inspiration of God." What is scrip- 
ture ? Is it something spoken, or something written ? The 
latter, surely. That divine inspiration which was granted 
to the ancient prophets, was, therefore, two-fold, relating 
both to their oral and to their written communications. 

2d. Divine inspiration was not confined to neiv truths, or 
truths not known before. In the 105th and 106th Psalms, 
David records the wonderful dealings of God with the an- 
cient Israelites, together with their frequent acts of rebellion 
against Him. And in the 7th chapter of the Acts of the 
Apostles, we have a similar historical statement, as made 
by the martyr Stephen, and which is there recorded by St. 
Luke. Now, these facts were no new truths to the Jews, 
in the sense that they were not known by them before. They 
had been well known by that people, during all their suc- 
cessive generations, for several centuries past. But David 
and Luke were, nevertheless, moved by the Holy Ghost to 
record them. Divine inspiration, therefore, is not confined 
to new truths — truths not known before. It would be well 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 141; 

for US to keep this fact distinctly in mind, when we read the 
scriptures, and especially the historical parts of them ; for 
we should thereby be relieved of some difficulties which we 
must otherwise experience in respect to the divine inspira- 
tion of the scriptures. Nor, 

3d. Was the inspiration of the sacred writers confined to 
the subject-matter of what they were to communicate ; but 
had respect to their language, also ; that is, to the words 
and expressions they were to use. " Which things we speak, 
(says Paul), not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, 
but which (that is, which loords) the Holy Ghost teacheth." 
(1 Cor. ii, 13.) The words and expressions to be used in 
communicating a divine revelation to mankind, are, obvious- 
ly, of too much importance, to be left in any uncertainty or 
contingency. How careful are men in respect to the words 
and expressions they use in their important worldly con- 
cerns ; as, for instance, in their wills, in their deeds and 
conveyances, in their notes and receipts, and in every writ- 
ten document of importance ! What great caution, in respect 
to phraseology, is used in all the commissions and instruc- 
tions that are given by the government to their public offi- 
cers ; to all their foreign ambassadors, particularly I It is 
well known, that in respect to worldly concerns, much de- 
pends frequently on a single word used in the written instru- 
ment. And may not this be equally true in respect to a di- 
vine revelation ? Is it not evident, that in the latter case, 
verbal exactness must be unspeakably more important and 
necessary than it can be in the former, because a revelation 
from God must relate chiefly to those interests of ours, that 
are immensely more important than any of a worldly kind 
can be 1 And can we suppose that any mere fallible man 
would or could, of himself, and without divine direction, be 
so happy as to hit always upon those very words and expres- 
sions, which would be most suited to convey the " mind of 
the Spirit," neither more nor less, but exactly that which the 
Holy Ghost intended 1 This, surely, is not credible. We 
may see, then, in the very nature of the case, an absolute 
necessity of that which Paul declares as a fact, in the pas- 
sage just quoted, viz. the influence and direction of the Ho- 
ly Ghost, in respect to the words, the language used by 



142 CRITICAL AND 

himself and by his fellow-apostles, in commtinicating divine 
truth to mankind. 

4th. Divine inspiration did not dispense with, nor sus- 
pend, the natural faculties of the sacred writers. Speaking 
to his apostles, Christ said, " He shall teach you all things, 
and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have 
said unto you." (John xiv, 26.) The Holy Ghost, then, 
made use of and improved the memories of the apostles, and 
in this way enabled them to communicate to mankind what 
Christ had previously taught them. Every inspired writer 
has indeed a mental character, a style and diction, peculiar 
to himself. But the Holy Ghost made use of the natural 
faculties of each, such as they were ; and every one was 
left to communicate divine messages, and divine tmth, in 
his own way. 

5th. The inspiration intended by the apostle in this pas- 
sage, must relate chiefly to the scriptures in their original 
languages. The inspiration which he here ascribes to the 
writers of the holy scriptures, must relate to those scriptures 
as those holy men wrote them. But they wrote them in the 
original languages ; the Old Testament in the Hebrew, and 
the New in the Greek. Let no one be shaken in mind, or 
be troubled by this remark, in respect to the authenticity of 
iour English Bible. As a whole, it is a very faithful and very 
excellent translation, made directly from the original lan^r 
guages. But none pretends that the translators themselves, 
though holy and learned men, were at the same time divinely 
inspired, in the sense in which the original writers were. 
Our translation itself is the work of uninspired and fallible 
men 5 just as all the other translations of the sacred volume 
are, which have been made, whether in ancient or modern 
times, into the various languages of the world. And hence 
none ought to think it strange, if in some respects our Eng- 
lish version should be found imperfect, and capable of 
amendment. But, ^ 

H. In what sense is divine inspiration predicable of the 
whole sacred volume ; or what are we to understand by the 
declaration, ^^All scripture is given by inspiration of God?" 
It has been already remarked, that in these words, Paul 
must have referred to the Old Testament scripture — to the 



tXpLAHJiTORY IfOtES. 143 

writings of Moses and the prophets ; though what is here 
affirmed is equally true of those of the New. This, viz. the 
divine inspiration of the New Testament writers, I here as- 
sume, without undertaking to prove the point at large, which 
would lead me into a discussion quite foreign to my present 
design, and to the nature of the present work. It ought, 
however, to be remarked, that the Old and New Testaments 
are the only writings that can properly make claim to a divine 
origin. No such claim can properly be made for the Apoc- 
rypha, For that this, though excellent as a history and in 
other respects, and though frequently bound in the same 
volume with the Old and New Testaments, was not given 
by special divine inspiration, appears from various consider- 
ations, some of which are these : The Jewish church did 
not receive it as canonical ; neither Christ nor his apostles 
ever quoted from, or referred to it. Accordingly, the coun- 
cil of Laodicea, in A. D. 368, do not mention the apocry- 
phal books, as among those used by the church. But the 
question recurs, how is Paul's declaration now before us to 
be understood, in reference to the canonical scriptures — 
the Old and New Testaments ? We are not to understand 
from it, that every thing said in the scriptures was dictated 
by the Spirit of Gob ; that is, as said by the speakers them- 
selves. We have in the Bible the speeches and the sayings 
of Satan, of evil demons, and of evil men. (See Gen. iii, 
4 : Job i, 9 : Mat. iv, 3, 6, 9, and viii, 31 : Luke iv, 33, 
34, and viii, 32 : 1 Sam. xxx, 32 : Luke xxiii, 21 : Acts 
xxiii, 14.) None pretends that what these wicked beings 
here said was dictated by the Spirit of God, or that they 
were divinely inspired, when they said the things attributed 
to them in these passages. But though these speakers 
themselves were not divinely inspired, in saying what they 
did ; yet the sacred writers were divinely inspired, in record- 
ing what they said. And this is what is mainly intended 
by the declaration, "t^// scripture is given by inspiration of 
God ;" that is, the record itself is divinely inspired ; the 
sacred penmen were divinely inspired, in making that re- 
cord, in writing the sacred volume. To a well-disposed 
and enlightened mind, a few such passages as those above 
referred to, and which contain the speeches of devils and 



144: CRITICAL ANS 

wicked men, will not occasion any serious difficulty in res» 
pect to that species of inspiration, which relates to the con- 
tents, the subject-matter of the Bible ; and they do not at 
all affect that species of it which relates to the record itself, 
and which is intended in the passage now commented upon. 
The sacred writers might have had the guidance of the Holy 
Ghost, when they wrote or recorded the sayings and speech- 
es of devils and wicked men, equally as when they wrote 
any other part of the holy scriptures. It is to be carefully 
remembered, that when they recorded those speeches, or 
any of those abominable sins, which are mentioned in scrip- 
ture, they never express the divine approbation of them ; 
but always the contrary, when there is any occasion for their 
so doing. The inspired writer records as a matter of fact, 
David's adultery and murder, (2 Sam. xi) ; but he adds — 
" The thing which David had done displeased the Lord." 
It is not necessary, in order to the whole Bible's being the 
word of God, that every thing recorded in it as having been 
said or done, should have been immediately dictated by the 
Spirit of God ; or that it should be, in itself considered, 
agreeable to the holy nature of God. In a word : when 
inspiration is predicated of the entire Bible ; when it is said, 
as in the passage now before us, " All scripture is given by 
inspiration of God," reference is had to the record itself; 
and the meaning is, that in making that record, the sacred 
penmen were divinely influenced, and directed just what to 
write, and how to write it ; so that the Bible might be, both 
as to matter and form, exactly what God would have it to 
be ; and that it might contain just what he saw proper and 
necessary to be communicated for the advancement of his 
own glory, and for the instruction and best good of mankind. 
And it is in this sense that "a// scripture" is divinely inspir- 
ed, and that it is even all of it the " word of God." (See 
Woods on Inspiration.) 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 145 

HEBREWS. 

Chapter ii, Yerse 5. 

** For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the 
World to come, whereof we speak." 

What is meant by " the world to come," in this passage? 
It is probable most readers understand by this expression, 
the future state of existence. But this is a mistake. " The 
Jews were accustomed to dispute concerning the two ages 
of the world ; the one of which they called clam hazze, 
the present age or world ; the other olam habbau, the age 
or world to come. The former, in their opinion, was to 
comprehend the time from the creation to the advent of the 
Messiah. The latter they referred to the joyful time when 
the Messiah should come." (See Robinson's Greek Lexi- 
con.) This world to come, i. e. the times and concerns of 
the christian dispensation, as distinguished from all preced- 
ing dispensations, had not been subjected to the angels. 
The angels had had much to do in the concerns of the Mo- 
saic or Jewish dispensation, and had exercised a very con- 
siderable control over them. In particular, they were the 
principal instruments whom God used in the introduction of 
that dispensation, or in the delivery and promulgation of the 
law. Hence St. Stephen reminds the Jews, that they had 
" received the law by the disposition of angels," (Acts vii, 
53) ; and St. Paul declares that this law was ordained by 
angels, in the hand of a Mediator. (Gal. iii, 19.) But they 
had not had a similar agency in the introduction of the chris- 
tian dispensation ; nor had they been permitted to exercise 
such a management and influence over its concerns, as they 
had exercised over those of the Jewish. The honor of doing 
these things was reserved for one greater than the angels ; 
for the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all the angels themselves 
were subjected, and whom they all were required to worship 
and obey. (Ch. i, 6.) 

Yerse 9. 

** But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the 
angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and 
honor," &c. 

The words in the Greek, f^^a-xy t», may relate either to 
I Christ's grade of existence, while he abode on earth, or to 

13 



146 CRITICAL AND 

the duration of that abode. In Luke xxii, 58, these same 
words are translated " a little while ;" and in Acts v, 34, 
*' a little space;" and evidently, in both these places, the 
sense admits of no other, translation than what is there giv- 
en. Some good expositors, as Erasmus, Beza, Grotius, 
McKnight, Schleusner, and RosenmuUer, have construed 
these words in this passage, as though they related to time 
only — thus : — " But we see Jesus, who was made a little 
while, or for a little while, lower than the angels." 

Yeese 16. 

" For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but 
he took on him the seed of Abraham." 

This passage is commonly understood as teaching that 
Christ, in his incarnation and appearance on earth, did not 
assume the angelic nature and form, but rather the human 
nature and form ; i. e. that for our redemption he became a 
man, and not an angel. Nov/, that this was a truth, that 
Christ did assume, not the angelic nature, but the human na- 
ture, and that too with all its infirmities and evils except 
sin, into an intimate union with the divine nature, that he 
might thereby be fully qualified for the work which the Fa- 
ther had given him to do, is undeniable. But the question 
is, was this the truth chiefly meant in this place, or was this 
the main thing here intended by the apostle 1 Whoever un- 
derstands the original, and will attend to the etymology of 
the verb here used, will perceive that its precise meaning is, 
to lay hold on, or to lay hold of. Accordingly, it is thus 
rendered in almost all the instances of its occurrence in the 
New Testament. (See Mat. xiv, 31 : Mark viii, 23 : 
Luke xxiii, 26, and xx, 20, 26 : 1 Tim. vi, 12, 19.) This 
text, then, may, at least as- properly, be translated thus : — 
* He laid not hold on angels, but he laid hold on the seed of 
Abraham.' Such is the interpretation of the verse given by 
many commentators, and such is probably the true interpre- 
tation of it. And what a good sense does it make ! What 
an important truth does it exhibit ; a truth, which is not only 
elsewhere and abundantly taught in the scriptures, but which 
constitutes the very essence of the gospel. St. Peter tells 
us, that " God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast ; 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 147 

tliem down to hell, and delivered them into chains of dark- 
ness, to be reserved unto judgment." For them there is no 
redemption. But for the seed of Abraham, for the lost 
sheep of the house of Israel, the Saviour became incarnate ; 
them he came to redeem ; on them he took hold, to deliver 
them from going down to the pit. We are not to suppose, 
from this passage, that the covenant of redemption includes 
none but the lineal seed of Abraham ; nor that it includes 
all even of them ; " for they are not all Israel, vv^hich are 
of Israel ; neither because they are the seed of Abraham, 
are they all children." (Rom. ix. 6, 7.) The covenant of 
redemption includes, and Christ came to redeem, all those 
who ever have been, all who are now, and all who ever shall 
'be, the spiritual seed of Abraham, whether they be Jews or 
Gentiles ; and undoubtedly the aggregate number of the 
saved from the Gentiles will be unspeakably greater than 
such number from the Jews. Still, however, it was proper 
that in this place the seed of Abraham should be particularly 
mentioned ; because not only was the gospel first published 
to them, and our Lord in person published it to them only, 
and by this means, as well as by the concurring agency of 
his Spirit, pecuHarly took hold on them to save them ; but 
also this epistle w^as written to them. 

Chap, iv, 9. 

" There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of 
God." 

2a§§arj^f/.oj, the word here translated rest, signifies prop- 
erly and exactly, a keeping or enjoying of the Sabbath. 
And in this sense, the verb ^a§§aTi(^6o, from which the noun 
ga§§ar{^fxog is derived, is used in the Septuagint. (See in 
that version, Ex. xvi, 30 ; Lev. xxvi, 35.) That this text 
refers principally to the heavenly state, must be admitted ; 
yet, as referring thereto, its meaning is more definite than 
common readers are aware. For as the precise import of 
ga§§ar»5'f/'0^ is a keeping or enjoying of the Sabbath ; so, as 
applied to the world of glory, it illustrates very impressively 
the peculiar natiire of its employments and enjoyments. In 
other words, it shows that they will be like to those of a 
Sabbath (i. e. of one rightly sanctified) on earth. It surely 



148 CRITICAL AND 

becomes us, then, in the appUcation of this thought, to in- 
quire whether we love the Sabbath, and its appropriate du- 
ties, on earth ; whether we can truly call them a delight. 
(Isa. Iviii, 13.) If we cannot so say, and so feel; if, on 
the contrary, from weariness with, and dislike to the exercis- 
es of this holy day, and from worldly mindedness, we are for, 
saying, *' When will the Sabbath be gone, that we may set: 
forth wheat," (Amos viii, 5) ; if such be the case with usy 
dreadful is our state, presumptuous are all our hopes for fu- 
ture happiness. For, obviously, if we have no relish for the 
entertainments of our earthly Sabbaths, we cannot have 
any for the similar and more spiritual ones of the celestial 
sabbatism ! 

Verse 12. 

" For the word of Oon is quick and powerful, and sharp- 
er than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing 
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and 
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 

By the ivord of God, here mentioned, the written word, 
the Bible, is generally supposed to be meant. And though 
the term Xoyog be used in at least sixteen different senses or 
shades of meaning, and frequently means the Lord Jesus 
Christ himself; yet that, in this text, it denotes the written 
word, or denotes that primarily and principally, is very pro- 
bable, especially because the epithets here used, are in fact, 
and with peculiar propriety, applicable to the holy scriptures. 
Most of the language here used is metaphorical, and very 
strong, but not too strong. Ask the Christian, who has 
" tasted the good word of God,^' and he will tell you so. To 
every such an one, the written word has been indeed " quick 
and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing 
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit," &c. or, (as 
it is expressed, 1 Thess. ii, 13), it '' worketh effectually in 
them that believe." The degree of its effectual operation is, 
however, very different in different believers ; as different as 
are the degrees of that sanctification which they respectively 
have experienced. It is equally true, that in every instance 
of its being effectual on either saints or sinners, " the excel- 
lency of the power is of God, and not of man ;" nor even of 
the written word itself. It is the Holy Spirit, and that only, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 14& 

which, co-operating with the word, renders it effectual for 
the " casting down of imaginations, and of every high thing 
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God," and for 
" bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of 
Christ." (2 Cor. x, 5.) It may be added, that this instru- 
mental efficacy of the scriptures on their own hearts and 
lives, is to believers an intuitive and decisive proof of their 
divine original. 

Chap, v, 4. 

" And no man taketh this honor to himself, but he that 
is called of Goo, as was Aaron." 

It may be thought by some, that any attempt to elucidate 
this text is lost, or at least unnecessary labor, because its true 
meaning may be said to be already evident ; and (what ren- 
ders criticism the less necessary) self-evident also. But what 
then is this evident, this self-evident meaning 1 It is easy to 
tell what it is not, and as easy to prove, that by ignorant en- 
thusiasts, this text has been misinterpreted, and perverted to 
very bad purposes. It has been understood and represented, 
it seems, as teaching that there must^be a kind of passivity on 
our part, and a kind of miraculous, or at least extraordinary 
agency and vocation, on God's part, in our induction into 
the christian ministry ; that personal study and labor in 
storing the mind with useful human knowledge, say of the 
languages, history, philosophy, &c. is not at all necessary to 
qualify one to be an useful minister ; that the young man, 
or whoever else he be, needs not, or should not, be active in 
such preparatory studies, and much less in actually entering 
the ministry ; that in this sense he should not take such an 
honor to himself; but that, on the contrary, he must wait 
until he has a divine call ; must remain perhaps at the 
plough, or at the anvil, or behind the counter, until God 
calls him to preach ; and must then go immediately, and 
preach the kingdom of God, not conferring with flesh and 
blood, &c. &c. But it is time to show what the meaning 
of this text is. And for this purpose let it be observed, 

1st. That the honor or official station intended in this 
place, is not that of a common priest under the law, nor of 
a common minister under the gospel ; but solely of the Jew- 
ish high priest. Whatever, therefore, may be intended by 
13* 



150 CRITICAL AND 

not taking this honor to one's self, and by being called of 
God thereto, as was Aaron, this passage has no primary, 
direct reference to christian preachers in these days* 

2d. On supposition that it is referable, secondarily and 
consequentially, to such preachers, still the obviously ne- 
cessary inquiry is, as before, what is meant by these expres- 
sions—" not taking this honor to one's self, and being call- 
ed of God thereto 1" Doubtless all those in our days, who 
ought to preach the gospel, are in a sense '^ called of God" 
to this work ; but not in the sense that some suppose. 
Those extraordinary calls to the sacerdotal and other im- 
portant offices, which were so frequent under the Jewish 
dispensation, and generally during the age of miracles, are 
not to be expected now. To be sure, we have a right to 
demand that those persons who make claim to them, should 
support their claim by such " mighty signs and wonders,'* 
as were exhibited by the prophets and apostles, in proof of 
their extraordinary commission. We may lay it down as a 
general truth, that God doth not call any man to any parti- 
cular work, unless he be qualified for that work. To say 
the contrary, would amount to a practical denial both of his 
wisdom and of his goodness, in this respect. As the chris- 
tian ministry is, in respect to the doctrines and subjects it 
treats of, its bearing on the present and future welfare of 
mankind, and its eternal consequences in other respects, by 
far the most important office ever committed to man, it is 
evident that no novice, nor ignorant person, can be proper- 
ly qualified for it. And as from its peculiar nature, it is ob- 
vious that its appropriate duties can never be performed with 
any good degree of fidelity, except where the heart is right 
in the sight of God, it is equally evident that genuine person- 
al piety is another indispensable qualification for it. In 
short, these two things, at least, are absolutely necessary to 
constitute any proper quaUfication for the work of the gos- 
pel ministry, and any real evidence that a man is called of 
God thereto, viz. unholy desire for the work, (1 Tim. iii, 1), 
and an abilitij for it, (2 Cor. iii, 6.) Of the first of these, 
the individual himself must be the judge ; of the last, oth- 
ers mustbe the judges, and those, too, qualified to judge on 
this momentous subject. 



explanatory notes. 151 

Yerse 7. 

" Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up 
prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, unto 
him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in 
that he feared." 

The apostle evidently refers in this place to the Lord Je- 
sus Christ, and shows how he was employed during the 
time of his personal abode on the earth. The only particu- 
lar in this text about which there is any difficulty, and the 
only one which needs illustration, is the last clause, viz. 
" and was heard in that he feared." That Jesus Christ was 
heard in his prayers ; that his prayers were accepted and 
answered by his heavenly Father, is certain from other pas- 
sages of scripture. Jesus himself said, " Father, I thank 
thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest 
me always." (John xi, 41, 42.) And so far, there is no 
difficulty either in understanding or in believing. But the 
question is, what does the apostle mean by saying, " He 
was heard in that he feared?" Some interpreters explain, 
or rather translate the clause, thus — " because of his piety." 
The reason of this translation doubtless lies in the supposed 
meaning of the original terms here used, viz. aTTo rrj'^ suXa- 
Qsiag ; while, at the same time, the best of all reasons is 
thought to be hereby given, why his prayers and supplica- 
tions should be heard and answered, viz. the piety with 
which they were offered. The word euXa^sia is supposed 
to signify true piety, religious reverence, godly fear ; and 
the preposition difo is said to signify, sometimes, /or, or be- 
cause of. It is conceded that the Greek terms here employ- 
ed are sometimes used in these senses. This same Greek 
noUn is translated godly fear ^ in Heb. xii, 28. The Greek 
preposition here used is translated /or, in Luke xix, 3 ; and 
because of, in Mat. xviii, 7. But svXa^sla is not always used 
in this sense, even in scripture, and much less in classical 
Greek authors. (See in the Septuagint, Josh, xxii, 24, and 
in the Greek New Testament, Acts xxiii, 10.) And as to 
a-jro, it is certain that its proper and most common significa- 
tion is, from. Some ambiguity attends the original in this 
case; and our translators have preserved a corresponding 
ambiguity in their version. For the phrase " in that he 



152 CRITICAL AND 

feared," may signify either in as much as he feared ; or it 
may signify in that thing, in respect to that thing he feared. 
I suppose that the last of these phrases expresses what the 
apostle intended in this place. A more literal translation 
of this clause would be this — "he was heard from the fear;" 
meaning, as I suppose, Christ was heard and answered in 
respect to that thing which he feared, and was delivered 
from his fear. The word fear in this case denotes the object 
of fear. (See Professor Stuart, in loco.) In this sense is 
the term sometimes used in scripture. (Gen. xxxi, 42 : Isa. 
viii, 13.) In short, the meaning of this text seems to be 
this, viz : that in those agonising prayers and supplications 
which Jesus Christ offered to his Father, during his abode 
on earth, and especially in the garden of Gethsemane, (Mat. 
xxvi, 39—44 : Mark xiv, 32—39 : Luke xxii, 41—46), he 
was heard by his Father in, or in respect to, that thing which 
he feared, viz. the object of his fear ; and was by Him de- 
livered from that great evil which he feared. The question 
now arises, what was that thing which Christ feared, in res- 
pect to which he was heard, and from which he was deliver- 
ed ? It seems it could not be his sufferings themselves, 
whether of vci'md or body ; not even his final sufferings on 
the cross, because from these he was not delivered. Nor 
is it to be supposed, that Christ ever did (on the whole, and 
all things considered) wish and pray to be delivered from 
them. To say he did, is the same with saying that Christ 
did, on the whole, wish and pray to be delivered and excus- 
ed from accomplishing that great work, for which he came 
into the world ; in the remote anticipation of which he felt 
such an intense interest and delight, (Ps. xl, 6 — 10), and 
during the actual accomplishment of which he felt himself 
so much straitened, and impelled to proceed, until it should 
be completed. (Luke xii, 50.) The sufferings of Christ, 
and especially his final sufferings on the cross, were an es- 
sential part of that work which Christ, as redeemer, had to 
perform. They were absolutely necessary for that purpose. 
(Mat. xvi, 21: Luke xxiv, 26.) The fulfilment of many 
scripture prophecies, the salvation of sinners, and the glory 
of God, as displayed in their salvation — all depended on the 
sufferings of Christ. So far as we can see, these immense- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 153 

\y important objects could not have been attained, if Christ 
had not suffered and died, and if he had not suffered and 
died in the manner he did. If, then, Christ be such a cha- 
racter, so disinterested, so regardless of personal considera- 
tions, as the scriptures represent him, (John vi, 38 : Rom. 
XV, 3), and as his whole life shows him to have been ; so 
much bent on advancing the glory of God, in the salvation 
of sinners ; it is incredible that he ever should have wished 
to avoid those sufferings, i. e. on the whole, and all things 
considered. Nor does the account we have of Christ's 
prayer in the garden, contradict this view of the subject. 
Christ was man, as well as God. As man, he could feel, 
under bodily or mental pain, whether actually endured or in 
prospect, as other men feel, and as all intelligent and all 
sensitive beings feel. No intelhgent being, holy or unholy, 
can feel reconciled to pain, as pain, in itself considered. 
As m.an, as partaker of flesh and blood, with all their inno- 
cent sensibilities and properties, Christ doubtless felt a 
strong aversion to those sufferings, which had in a degree 
befallen him in life, which were increased in the garden, 
and which were soon to be consummated on the cross. No 
wonder that his human nature should for a moment sink, as 
it were, in view of them, and cry out, " 0, my Father, if it 
be possible, let this cup pass from me : Nevertheless, (he 
adds), not as I will, but as thou wilt." The account we 
have in John xii, 27, 28, is perfectly natural, and just what 
we might expect from such a character in such circumstan- 
ces : — " Now is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say ? 
Father, save me from this hour : But for this cause came I 
unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name." This shows, 
that whatever was the repugnance which the human nature 
of Christ felt to the troubles he then endured, and to the still 
greater ones in prospect— he, on the whole, chose to go 
forward. In view of " the joy set before him," he cheerful- 
ly " endured the cross, despising the shame," knowing that 
these afflictions, which, though heavy, were of short dura- 
tion, would '' work out an exceeding and an eternal weight 
of glory," not only for himself, but for " an innumerable 
multitude" of ransomed souls. But whatever we may sup- 
pose Christ's feelings to have been in relation to his suffer- 



154 CRITICAL AND 

ings in life, in the garden, and on the cross, we know that 
in fact he was not delivered from them. If any should sup- 
pose that the burden of Christ's prayer in the garden was, 
that on the whole he might avoid the death of the cross, with 
all its concomitant and aggravating evils ; still, he must 
allow that his prayer in this respect was not heard. Christ's 
mere sufferings, then, were not the thing in which, or in 
respect to which, he was heard, and from which he was de- 
livered. But the thing in which, or in respect to which, 
Christ was heard, appears to have been his fainting and 
failing under those sufferings ; so that he should fail of ac- 
complishing completely the work which the Father had giv- 
en him to do. As man, " tempted in all points like as we 
are," and harrassed by the " fiery darts of the devil," he 
must be supposed to have been, at times, capable of solici- 
tude from this source ; notwithstanding the assurance he 
had to the contraiy before the trial came, and before he be- 
came incarnate. (Isa. 1, 5 — 8.) In respect to this thing, 
he was heard. From this dreadful evil he was delivered. 

Verse 12. 

*' For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have 
need that one teach you again which be the first principles 
of the oracles of God ; and are become such as have need 
of milk, and not of strong meat." 

The connection of this passage with the preceding part 
of the chapter should be carefully remembered. The apostle 
had been speakhig of the Jewish high priest, as a type and 
illustration of Jesus Christ, who was " called of God an 
high priest, after the order of Melchisedek." On this sub- 
ject, he enlarges with equal pleasure to himself and advan- 
tage to the reader, until he comes to the 11th verse. But 
there his ardor cools, and he very abruptly and reluctantly 
leaves for the present his main subject ; not because it was 
exhausted, (for he had yet many things to say upon it), but 
on account of the inattention and indifference of these He- 
brews. What a calamity it is, when such instructive and 
lively preachers have to speak to such ignorant and stupid 
hearers ! But to the passage itself. *' When for the time," 
i. e. on account of, or in respect to the time. The time 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 165 

here mentioned may denote the then present peculiar time^ 
as a time of persecution, when of course christian instruc- 
tion, support, and consolation, would be particularly needed 
by believers ; or rather, as is most probable, the time and 
very favorable opportunities these Hebrews had enjoyed, for 
growth in divine knowledge. " Ye ought to be teachers." 
The apostle did not mean, that, as a people, they ought to 
be teachers, officially, but in the sense intended in Col. iii, 
16. *' Ye have need that one teach you again which be the 
first principles of the oracles of God." How^ forgetful, 
then, had these Hebrews been, of what they had once learn- 
ed 5 and what a glass is here, for many modern hearers of 
the word to see themselves in ! " First principles," &c. 
Christianity is a science consisting of some simple and ele- 
mentary truths, here called first principles, and of others 
more abstruse and sublime, and not so easily understood, 
called elsewhere " the deep things of God." The apostle 
adds — " and are become such as have need of milk, and not 
of strong meat." As on this clause there has been much 
conversation, considerable debate, and after all quite a di^ 
versity of opinion, it seems necessary to attend a little to it, 
to ascertain, if possible, its true meaning. And to do this 
most effectually, it would be well for us, if, instead of be- 
wildering ourselves in speculation, we would only attend 
more closely to the simple metaphor here used by the apos- 
tlej viz. "milk and strong meat." Milk is a thing easily 
and quickly digested ; strong meat, not so easily nor so 
readily. Hence, as says the apostle, " Every one that useth 
milk is a babe ; but strong meat belongeth to them that are 
of full age ;" i. e. milk is proper for babes ; strong meat for 
persons of adult age, whose digestive organs have been 
strengthened and improved by long exercise. Now", keep- 
ing this metaphor in mind, we may instantly perceive, that 
what the apostle primarily intended by " milk," was those 
doctrines which are plain, simple, and easy to be understood. 
Equally evident it is, that what he intended by " strong 
meat," was not so much those doctrines which are pecuHarly 
offensive to the natural heart, as those which are hai^d to be 
understood — hard to be digested by the mind ; such doc- 
trines, indeed, as he had just been speaking of; those rela- 



156 CRITICAL ANfi 

ting to the person, character, and official work of the true 
Melchisedek. The doctrines, therefore, of total depravity, 
of eternal election, &c. cannot come under the denomina- 
tion of strong meat ; or, to be sure, no further nor otherwise 
than as they are hard to he understood. 

Chap, vii, 1. 

" For this Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most 
high God," &c. 

The writer's object in the present work requires merely 
that he should show, if possible, who and what this Melchi- 
sedek was. Now, on this difficult subject there are but two 
opinions : The one, that he was a man, contemporary with 
Abraham ; the other, that he was Jesus Christ himself. In 
support of the opinion that he was Christ, it is alledged, 

1st. That he was without father, without mother, without 
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life. 
These characteristics, it is said, are predicable of Jesus 
Christ only ; or at least of him, with unspeakably more pro- 
priety than of any other person. But if we understand them 
literally, the same sort of difficulty will attend their applica- 
tion to the man Christ Jesus, as would attend their applica- 
tion to any other man. The person who brought forth 
bread and wine, and blessed Abraham, (Gen. xiv, 18, 19), 
is evidently spoken of as a man. If, therefore, Christ were 
that person, Christ must here be referred to in his human 
nature only : But surely as man, Christ was not without 
mother, nor without descent, nor without beginning of days, 
nor without end of life. If these expressions should not be 
understood literally, but only as teaching generally that 
Melchisedek was without any recorded genealogy, so that 
his genealogy could not be traced ; why, then, the difficulty 
not only continues, but becomes greater than before, for 
Christ's genealogy is distinctly traced by both Matthew and 
Luke. But, 

2d. Melchisedek was greater than Abraham : Hence it 
is inferred that he must have been the Christ. But this 
circumstance alone does not prove that he was the Christ. 
Those who think it does, must of course proceed on the 
supposition, that there was not, and could not be, any mere 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 157 

man on earth, in Abraham's time, greater than he. But this 
Certainly is mere supposition. The greatness attributed to 
Melchisedek in the context, was not so much personal as 
official ; it arose chiefly from his being king in Salem, and 
priest of the most high God. Now, in the light of scripture, 
no office is so great and so honorable as the latter of these ; 
and surely, in reference to solemn consequences, both here 
and hereafter, none is so important. Now, Melchisedek 
was such a priest, but Abraham was not ; there is, therefore, 
no necessity of supposing that Christ is the person here 
meant, merely because this person was superior to Abra- 
ham ; for in the official sense, at least, i. e. as king in Sa- 
lem, and priest of the most high God, Melchisedek must 
have been superior to Abraham, even on supposition that 
he was a mere man. 

3d. It is said of Melchisedek, verse 8, "he liveth ;" yea, 
in verse 24, that " he continueth for even" Hence, some 
may conclude that he was Christ himself. But all this may 
mean nothing more than that he liveth in his antitype, and 
that his priesthood continueth, much in the same manner as 
the martyrs are said to revi^ and reign in their successors. 
(Rev. XX, 4.) 

That this Melchisedek was not Jesus Christ himself, ap- 
pears, because he is said, verse 3, to be " made like unto 
the Son of God." He could not then have been the Son of 
God himself. Again, in verses 15, 16, 17, we read, "After 
the similitude of Melchisedek there ariseth another priest, 
(i. e. another than either an Aaronic priest, or that Melchi- 
sedek who met Abraham) , who is made not after the law of 
a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless 
life. For He testifieth, thou art a priest for ever, after the 
order of Melchisedek." By the other priest, Christ un- 
doubtedly is intended. Christ, then, is here said to be after 
the similitude, after the order of Melchisedek. He could 
not, therefore, be that Melchisedek himself; but who, what 
particular man he was, it is impossible for us to tell. The 
Jews, and some christian writers, have supposed he was 
Shem, one of the sons of Noah. But Shem, surely, could 
not have been properly said to be without father, without 
mother, without descent ; having neither beginning of days 

14 



158 CRITICAL AND 

nor end of life. He had a father and a mother ; his genea- 
logy had been distinctly traced, and was well known ; and 
not only had he a beginning of days and an end of life, but 
it was known when and where he was born, and when he 
died. — But though we cannot know certainly and exactly 
who this Melchisedek was, otherwise than that he vras some 
great and good man, contemporary with Abraham, we may 
know ivhat he was. Though he was not the Christ, he was 
an illustrious type of Christ. As such, the apostle repre- 
sents him in several particulars. At present, I shall select 
only two, because these are the most prominent, and may 
comprehend all others. Melchisedek, then, was a pre- 
eminent type of Christ, as king and as priest. 

1st. As king. He was king in or of Salem, i. e. king 
of peace ; for such is the import of the Hebrev/ word. Fur- 
ther : He was, as his characteristic name imports, king of 
righteousness, or a righteous king. As king, then, what an 
impressive type was he of him who is set as king on the 
holy hill of Zion, (Ps. ii, 6), who is emphatically '' the prince 
of peace," (Isa. ix, 6), and who reigns in righteousness. 
(Isa. xxxii, 1.) i| 

2d. As priest. Melchisedek was priest of the most high 
God. Eminently so v/as our Lord Jesus Christ, the high 
priest of our profession. Melchisedek had no predecessor 
in office. In this respect, he was icithout descent ; and in 
this respect, how strikingly did he typify Him " whose de- 
scent was not counted from them," (verse 6), i. e. from the 
sons of Levi ; but who " pertained to another tribe, of which 
Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood." (Terse 14.) 
Once more : As Melchisedek had no predecessor, so he 
had no successor, otherwise than in his great Antitype. Nei- 
ther has Christ any successor : " Because he conlinueth for 
ever, he hath an unchangeable priesthood," or a priesthood 
which doth not pass away. He is " consecrated for ever- 
more :" For " the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, 
thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek." 
(Ps. ex, 4.) Before this subject is dismissed, it is proper 
to remark, that the obscurity, and mystery, and unsatisfac- 
toriness, which attend the scriptural account of Melchisedek, 
seem to have been intentional on the part of the Holy Spirit ; 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 159 

in order that this person might the more fitly represent him 
whose generation none can declare, (Isa. Iviii, 3), and who 
in this respect, as well as in many others, may be properly 
called the " Wonderful." (Isa. ix, 6.) Let us not ' exercise 
ourselves in things too high for us ;' but let it be our main 
desire and endeavor, to secure an interest in the true Mel- 
chisedek ; for " he is able also to save them to the utter- 
most that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to 
make intercession for them." 

Chap, viii, 8 — 12. 

" For finding fault with them, he saith, behold the days 
come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant 
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah ; not 
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in 
the day when I took them by the hand, to lead them out of 
the land of Egypt ; because they continued not in my cove- 
nant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is 
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after 
those days, saith the Lord : I will put my laws into their 
mind, and write them in their hearts ; and I will be to them 
a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall 
not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his broth- 
er, saying, know the Lord ; for all shall know me, from the 
least to the greatest." 

In the first edition of this work, the expression, " finding 
fault with them," was explained, as referring to the people 
of Israel, and as meaning that God found fault with them. 
In support of this interpretation, it was remarked, 

1st. That the Greek pronoun, translated them, was mas- 
culine, and of course could not, according to the rules of 
syntax, agree with or refer to Sia&yjxais, the Greek word for 
covenants, which is in the feminine gender ; and 

2d. That it is absurd to suppose, that God should really 
find fault with covenants of his own institution. It is, how- 
ever, the opinion of some good commentatoi-s, as Henry and 
Scott, that it was the covenants themselves with which God 
found fault. On more mature reflection, I am inclined to 
think they are correct in this interpretation, as this seems 
best to suit the apostle's main scope in the context ; though 



160 CRITICAL AND 

there are some difficulties attending it, and especially the 
grammatical difficulty just mentioned, and which occurs 
and is the same in all the editions of the New Testament 
which I have consulted. But the point here which chiefly 
needs elucidation, is the iiew covenant itself. What is in- 
tended by this covenant 1 Every intelligent reader must in- 
stantly perceive, that a correct decision as to this matter, is 
of great practical importance ; for it will have a direct bear- 
ing on the contested subject of infant baptism. How fre- 
quently have the advocates for the continued existence of 
the Abrahamic covenant been answered by their opponents 
in this way, viz : ' that covenant has been utterly aboHshed;^ 
and in proof of this, how frequently have the latter alledged 
the passages now under consideration! For hence, say 
they, it is evident that an entirely new covenant, and another 
covenant than that made with Abraham, is made with Chris- 
tians — the old Abrahamic covenant having been abolished. 
For does not the apostle say, (verse 13), "In that he saith 
a new covenant, he hath made the first old ; now that which 
decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away V^ Hence 
it is concluded that the great foundation of pedobaptism, 
that which Pedobaptists themselves acknowledge as such, 
viz. the Abrahamic covenant continued, is entirely swept 
away. But is it so indeed? Let us examine the paragraph 
more minutely. It is manifestly a quotation from Jer. xxxi, 
31 — 35. For the explanation of this very instructive por- 
tion of scripture, the following remarks may be useful : — 

1st. The new covenant, here mentioned, is a covenant 
established by Jehovah with his people in gospel times, and, 
as will appear in the sequel, is none other than the christian 
dispensation itself. For the apostle here quotes this pro- 
phecy from Jeremiah, and applies it to gospel times ; which 
he would not have done, were not the prophecy or promise 
itself to be fulfilled in those times. 

\ 2d. This new covenant is here directly opposed, not to 
the covenant made with Abraham, but to that covenant 
which Jehovah made with the Jews, in the day when he took 
them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt. 
Both the prophet and the apostle, in speaking of this new 
covenant, say it was to be '' not according to the covenant 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 161 

tbat God made with their fathers, in the day when he took 
them by the hand, to lead or bring them out of the land of 
Egypt." The phrase, " in the day," or in that day, as used 
in the scriptures, is not always so precise in its meaning as 
it is when used by us. We mean thereby, that very day — 
that very space of twenty-four hours. But the scriptures 
frequently intend by the phrase, about that time ; or a time, 
a day, not far remote. (See, as specimens, Gen. ii, 17: 1 
Kings ii, 37.) In the last passage, we have the following 
address of Solomon to Shimei : — " For it shall be, that on 
the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, 
thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die." But 
Shimei was not put to death on that very day, though he 
was not long afterwards. The above remarks may help us 
to understand the true meaning of the phrase, " in the day," 
in the text before us. Manifestly, it is not to be understood 
literally, and in its most restricted sense ; for in that self- 
same day that they went out of the land of Egypt, Jehovah 
made no covenant at all with them, either new or old. But 
it means, about that time. In a word, it refers to and means 
that period, when ^' Moses brought forth the people out of 
the camp, to meet with God. And Mount Sinai was alto- 
gether on a smoke ; and the smoke thereof ascended as the 
smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly." 
(Ex. xix, 17, 18.) -The covenant, then, here meant as that 
to which this new covenant is opposed, is not the Abrahamic, 
but the Sinai covenant. This conclusion is both justified 
and established by the fact, that the great and principal ob- 
ject of the apostle, in this epistle, was to distinguish between 
law and gospel ; to illustrate the superiority of the christian 
to the legal dispensation, and more definitely still to prove 
to the Hebrews, that the covenant which God made with 
their fathers at Sinai, and in the wilderness, and on which 
the whole fabric of Judaism was built, had been abolished, 
and had been succeeded by the christian dispensation ; and 
so, to prevail on them to " stand fast in the liberty where- 
with Christ had made them free." On the whole, it is evi- 
dent that this covenant was not called new in respect to the 
Abrahamic covenant, as though it was opposed to that, or 
as though the introduction of this new covenant would of 
14* 



162 CRITICAL AND 

6otirse cause the Abrahamic covenant to " vanish away," 
and be no more. But it was called new in respect to the 
Sinai covenant, or that covenant which God made with their 
fathers, in the day when he brought them out of Egypt ; so 
that when this new covenant and dispensation should be in- 
troduced, the Sinai covenant and Jewish dispensation would 
cease. The covenant God made with the Israelites at Si- 
nai, was a totally distinct thing from that which he had pre- 
viously made with their father Abraham. Nor did the Sinai 
covenant disannul the Abrahamic covenant. Hence says 
St. Paul, (Gal. iii, 17) : — "And this I say, that the covenant 
that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which 
was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannul, 
that it should make the promise of none effect." In short, 
the paragraph of scripture before us, affords not the least 
evidence that the Abrahamic covenant has ever been abolish- 
ed. The mere fact that the Mosaic or Jewish dispensation 
had been abrogated, and has been succeeded by the Chris- 
tian dispensation, is no proof that that peculiar covenant 
which God made with Abraham and his household, as such, 
and in and through him, with other true believers and their 
households, as such, has ever been abolished. Pedobaptists, 
at least, believe that that covenant still continues, and that 
it will continue until its capital and glorious promise, " In 
thee shall all families, all nations be blessed," shall have 
been fulfilled. 

3d. Further to explain this new covenant, it should be ob- 
served, that it includes something internal, as well as some- 
thing external ; an internal, personal change of heart and 
character, as well as an outward divine dispensation. The 
christian covenant, or dispensation, is called " the ministra- 
tion of the Spirit." (2 Cor. iii, 8.) The Holy Spirit was 
to be given far more liberally in gospel times, than it had 
ever been under the law ; and the consequence of this 
would be, the saving conversion of vast multitudes unto 
God. Hence it is said, in the paragraph of scripture now 
before us — " For this is the covenant that I will make with 
the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord : I will 
put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts ; 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 16S 

and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a 
people." 

4th. The time to which this glorious promise has princi- 
pal respect, and in which it was to have its principal accom- 
plishment, is evidently yet future. Thus much we must 
believe, whether the phrases, "house of Israel," and "house 
of Judah," be understood in their literal sense, or as denot- 
ing generally the true Israel of God ; whether they be by 
birth Jews or Gentiles. For surely the time has not yet 
come, when it has become unnecessary for one man to 
teach his neighbor, and another man his brother, saying, 
" Know the Lord ;" nor has the glorious day ever yet arriv- 
ed among either Jews or Gentiles, (though we believe it sure- 
ly will), when they have all known the Lord from the least 
even to the greatest. 

Chap, ix, 28. 

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many ; 
and unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second 
time, without sin, unto salvation." 

Both the Greek word afxaprj'a, and its corresponding He- 
brew term, signify sometimes a sin-offering. The meaning 
of the latter part of this text seems to be, that when Christ 
shall appear the second time, it will be without a sin-offer- 
ing — such an offering as he made at his first appearing, 
when " once in the end of the world, he appeared to put a-, 
way sin, by the sacrifice of himself." When he appeared the 
first time, it was to save the world. When he shall appear 
the second time, it will be to judge the world. The pas- 
sage may indeed be so interpreted, as to admit another 
shade of meaning, not different, however, materially, from 
the one given above, and amounting ultimately to the same 
thing. Thus ; when Christ appeared the first time, it was 
to bear the sins of many ; which implies something more 
than that he merely bore them away. He bore them as a 
burdeny also. But when he shall appear the second time, 
it will be without bearing sin in any sense ; not of course in 
the sense of personal guilt, and not in the sense of imputa- 
tion neither ; but, so far as his redeemed people are con- 
cerned, it will be to complete their salvation, by receiving 



164 CRITICAL AND 

them to himself; that where he is, there they may be also. 
(John xiv, 3.) 

Chap, x, 4. 

" For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats 
should take away sins." 

In view of this passage, it is natural to inquire, (and the 
inquiry is a very important one), how far the animal sacrifi- 
ces under the law, or the atonements thereby made, availed 
for the good of those who offered them, or in whose behalf 
they were offered, and how far they did not. How often, 
in the account we have of the Mosaic ritual, do we read of 
an atonement's being made. How often is it said, that by 
sacrificing the animal which the transgressor brought, the 
priest made an atonement for him. Now, what sort of 
atonements were these? Were they real atonements, or 
typical atonements ? From the well known general habits 
of thinking on this subject, it is believed that the answer 
to this question, which would be given by far the greatest 
part of Christians, would be, that they were typical only ; 
that they were not in any sense real and efficacious atone- 
ments, but types only, and prefigurations of that great 
and really efficacious atonement, which the Lord Jesus was 
to make, and which he has since made, " by the sacrifice 
of himself." Now, the truth is, that in one sense, those 
atonements were real ; in another, only typical. They 
were real atonements, as it respected the disabilities occa- 
sioned to the Jew by his transgression of the Mosaic law, 
and as it respected those peculiar penal evils, to which, in 
consequence of such transgression, he became exposed. 
That in these respects they were real atonements, is evident 
from the fact, that in consequence, and by virtue of the sa- 
crifice being offered, of the atonement being made, the 
transgressor was actually freed from those disabilities, and 
secured against the punishment threatened in that law, and 
which otherwise he must have endured. In this sense he 
was forgiven, agreeably to the promise so frequently repeat- 
ed, " It shall be forgiven him." So far, then, as respected 
the Jewish laiv, they were real atonements, and sufficient 
ones. But, in another view, those atoning sacrifices were 
essentially defective, and entirely insufficient. They " could 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 165 

not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to 
the conscience." (Heb. ix, 10.) They could not give "the 
conscience^ or the mind, peace and rest, so that the worship- 
pers once purged (thereby), should have had no more con- 
science (or consciousness) of sin." (x, 2.) So far were 
they from doing this, that they served rather to aggravate 
their mental disquietude and distress, by bringing their past 
sins afresh to their remembrance. This was the case, es- 
pecially, with those sacrifices which were offered once a 
year, on the great day of atonement. Hence the apostle 
says, " In those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again 
made of sins every year." (x, 4.) In the most important 
sense, therefore, those atonements were only types and pre- 
figurations of the great atonement made by Jesus Christ. 
It was by this, only, that the justice of God could be fully sa- 
tisfied ; it was on this ground, or through this medium, only, 
that he could fully " declare his righteousness for the remis- 
sion of sins ;" so that he might be, at the same time, both 
*'just, and the justifier of him that believeth." And it is 
only in the believing view of this great atonement, or of that 
precious blood-shedding, whereby Christ's atonement was 
made, that the consciences of men ever could be, or ever 
will be, really " purged from dead works, to serve the living 
God," so that they may enjoy any substantial peace and 
rest. Let us, then, turn our attention from the blood of 
bulls and of goats, which could not possibly take away sin, 
and "behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin 
of the world." 

Verses 26, 27. 

" For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice 
for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and 
fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." 

It is well known by those who have been much conver- 
sant with soul-cases, that these texts have been the occasion 
of much perplexity and distress, to many persons of thought- 
ful mind and tender consciences. No matter how terrific this 
or any other part of the word of God becomes to the stupid 
and hardened sinner, so that it only leads him to flee from 
the wrath to come, and to inquire, with the trembling jailor. 



166 CRITICAL AND 

** What must I do to be saved ?" But how deplorable it is, 
that the heart of the righteous should needlessly be made 
sad, whom God hath not made sad ; or that any weary, 
heavy laden and anxious souls should be left in a state of 
gloom, and almost of despair, in consequence of misunder- 
standing these texts of scripture ; as probably has been the 
case with some such. At any rate, it is important that these 
passages should be rightly interpreted and understood. And 
for this purpose, we must remember to whom this epistle 
was written. It was written to the Hebrews, or Jews. It 
was proper that in writing to them, the apostle should use 
such a diction as was adapted to their peculiar character and 
state, and had some reference to the peculiarities of Juda- 
ism. This he does frequently in this epistle ; and there is 
an instance of it in the texts now before us. The apostle 
here refers to the two sorts of sins acknowledged among the 
Jews ; those of ignorance, oversight, or inadvertence, and 
those of presMmpfzow. , Of the first, see Lev. iv, 27, 28. 
" And if any one of the common people sin through igno- 
rance, while he doeth something against any of the com- 
mandments of the Lord, concerning things which ought not 
to be done, and be guilty ; or if his sin, which he hath sinned, 
come to his knowledge ; then he shall bring his offering," 
&c. (See, also, verses 2, 13, 22, of this same chapter, and 
Num. XV, 27 — 29.) Of the second sort of sins, see Num. 
XV, 30, 31. " But the soul that doeth ought presumptuous- 
ly, (whether he be born in the land, or a stranger), the same 
reproacheth the Lord ; and that soul shall be cut off from, 
among his people. Because he hath despised the word of 
the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall 
utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him." Now, 
it is a presumptuous sinning, that is referred to by the apos- 
tle in this place. Presumptuous sins are sins committed 
against light and knowledge ; and it is the fact that they 
are thus committed, which makes them presumptuous. But 
the sin here intended is evidently of this character, because 
it is represented as committed after having received the 
knowledge of the truth. The word " wilfully," or willingly, 
(for the original will admit either translation) , must then, irt 
this place, signify deliberately, obstinately, presumptuously. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 167 

As to the particular kind of presumptuous sinning here in- 
tended by the apostle, it is evident from the tenOr of this 
epistle, that it was ajpostacy from Christianity, To this sin 
the Hebrews were peculiarly exposed ; they were continu- 
ally in danger of apostatising from Christianity, not only from 
the persecutions they suffered from their own countrymen, 
on account of their christian profession, but also from their 
own remaining undue attachment to the Mosaic dispensa- 
tion. Hence they were in constant danger of renouncing 
Christianity for Judaism. This would have been in them 
an aggravated and presumptuous sin indeed, seeing they had 
already received the knowledge of the truth ; had been so 
far enlightened into the evidences and doctrines of Chris- 
tianity. And they might be sure, that if they should thus 
sin wilfully ; if they should, either to avoid persecution, or 
for any other reason, renounce Christianity for Judaism, 
there would remain no more sacrifice for their sins. The 
Jewish sacrifices had already lost their efficacy, to avert 
even national judgments. Indeed, while they remained, 
and were regularly offered according to divine appointment, 
they could never " take away sin," or " make him that did 
the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience." They 
could never make that atonement, the believing view of 
which would give substantial peace of mind. Moreover, 
it behoved the Hebrews to remember, that the whole legal 
economy, including all its sacrifices, was " ready to vanish 
away," or rather had already ceased, as to its validity and 
peculiar efficacy. The result was, that if they should apos- 
tatise from Christianity, and renounce Christ's atoning sa- 
crifice, there would be no sacrifice whatever for their sins. 
Such appears to be substantially the meaning of these texts. 
(See Stuart on the Hebrews.) Doubtless, however, they 
may be properly considered as by imphcation a solemn 
warning against sinning deliberately, obstinately, and pre- 
sumptuously, in any way. 

Verse 29. 
" Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he 
be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of 
God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith 



168 CRITICAL AiJIJ 

he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite 
unto the Spirit of grace." 

The only clause in this verse, on which I shall now par- 
ticularly remark, is the following, viz. " wherewith he was 
sanctified." The question is, who is meant by the pronoun 
he, in this place 1 Answer — Jesus Christ is probably meant. 
The ordinary rules of syntax favor this construction ; for the 
Son of God is the nearest antecedent. But is it proper to 
say, that Jesus Christ was sanctified? In reply, it must be 
observed, that the original word translated sanctified, is used 
in the scriptures in two senses. Both kadash, in the He- 
brew, and (X'^Kx^w, in the Greek, signify sometimes to make 
holy, in the spiritual sense of the expression ; sometimes to 
devote, dedicate, or consecrate, to some religious or impor- 
tant purpose. In the first mentioned sense, it cannot with 
truth be said, that our Lord was sanctified by the blood of 
the covenant ; for the saying so would manifestly imply, 
that previously to such sanctification, he was unholy and 
sinful; a sentiment utterly repugnant to the scriptures, 
which characterise him as holy, harmless, undefiled, and 
separate from sinners, and as knowing no sin. But in the 
last mentioned sense, our Lord was sanctified, i. e. he was 
devoted, consecrated to God, in the mediatorial work. He 
was called a Nazarene ; and though his enemies applied 
this epithet to him reproachfully, yet (as was the case with 
the inscription on the cross) the Holy Ghost designed it as 
significant and characteristical ; for, in the true sense of the 
word, our Saviour was a Nazarene or Nazarite : He was 
separated not only from sin, but also (after his public life 
commenced) from all mere worldly employments and con- 
cerns, and was devoted exclusively to the work which the 
Father had given him to do. Hence his language to the 
Jews, (John x, 36), " Say ye of him whom the Father hath 
sanctified and sent into the world," &c. Hence his remark 
in his intercessory prayer, " And for their sakes I sanctify 
myself." But if the pronoun /ie, in this verse, should be 
supposed to signify a mere man, and of course an apostate 
from Christianity ; still, on account of the two-fold sense in 
which the word sanctify is used, it will be very difficult to 



EXPLANATORY NOTES, 169 

draw from hence any substantial objection against the pre* 
servation and final perseverance of the saints. 

Chap, xi, 4* 

" By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacri- 
fice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was 
righteous, God testifying of his gifts." 

The word here translated "more excellent" signifies 
merely more, it being in the comparative degree from the 
word -n'oXu^, much. The passage, then, exactly translated, 
would run thus : — * By faith Abel offered unto God more, 
or more of a sacrifice, than Cain.' True, Abel's sacrifice 
was more excellent than Cain's ; but the apostle seems to 
have meant something more definite than what is expressed 
by the general phrase, " more excellent." He meant that 
Abel's oblation partook more of the nature of a 'proper sac- 
rifice than Cain's. Additional proof that such was his 
meaning will appear, from attending to the history of the 
affair, as recorded in Gen. iv, 3 — 5 : "And in process of 
time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the 
ground, an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also 
brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. 
And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering ; 
but unto Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect. And 
Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell." You see, 
then, that Cain's oblation was vegetable ; he brought of the 
" fruit of the ground." But Abel's oblation was animal ; 
it being of the " firstlings of his flock ;" and hence it had a 
more exact resemblance than Cain's, to that great and effi- 
cacious sacrifice which Jesus Christ afterwards made of 
himself, when he " died, the just for the unjust, and bore 
our sins in his own body on the tree." The matter, there- 
fore, of Abel's oblation, made it more of the nature oif a pro- 
per sacrifice than Cain's ; for Cain's oblation was a proper 
meat-offering ; but Abel's was a proper sin-offering. And 
what a difference was there, also, in the manner in which 
these two brethren brought their offerings unto God, and 
how much did Abel excel Cain in this respect ! For " by 
faith" Abel offered his sacrifice : But nOt so did Cain. He 
" was of that wicked one." (1 John iii, 12.) 

15 



170 CRITICAL AND 

Verse 6. 
" But without faith, it is impossible to please Him," &Cd 
This scripture needs to be enforced, far more than to be 
explained. It may, however, be properly observed, that the 
faith here spoken of means, directly, faith in God ; as is 
evident from the immediately subsequent words — " for be 
that Cometh to God must believe that he is," &c. 

Chap, xii, 1, 2. 

*' Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with 
so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, 
and the sin which doth so easily beset us ; and let us run 
with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto 
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." 

The connective word " wherefore," plainly shows that 
these verses are a kind of inference from the preceding chap- 
ter, and that of course, by the great cloud of witnesses, we 
are to understand the ancient worthies there enumerated, 
who may be said to be witnesses in a two-fold sense ; wit- 
nesses in the proper sense of the word, as they did on earth, 
and do now, bear testimony to the truth and cause of God ; 
eye-witnesses, also, or spectators of the race run by Chris- 
tians, and of the manner in which they run that race. By 
the way, what is here said of those ancient worthies, viz. 
that they are still witnesses, and that Christians are com- 
passed about with them, plainly implies that those worthies 
are still alive, i. e. that their souls are still alive. This pas- 
sage is, therefore, to be classed among those other passages 
©f scripture, which teach the doctrine of a separate state ; 
i. e. a state of conscious existence after death, and between 
death and the resurrection, when the soul is separate from 
the body. But what are we to understand by ^^the sin 
which so easily besets us ?" Some understand thereby, some 
constitutional sin, as it is called ; i. e. some sinful infirmity 
or predominant sinful propensity, peculiar to individuals, 
and occasioned by the peculiar temperament of their minds 
or bodies, or of both. Such propensity is supposed to be 
in one, the irascible ; in another, the covetous ; in another, 
the sensual, &c. Now, that every Christian and every man i 
has some besetting sin, in this sense of the terms, is proba- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 171 

bly true ; and equally true it is, that every one should lay it 
aside, and diligently watch and pray against it. It seemSj 
however, that this could not be what the apostle chiefly in- 
tended by the phrase in this place ; for this same easily be- 
setting sin is represented as besetting, at the same time, all 
the Hebrew Christians, and himself among the rest. But 
such constitutional sin as has been mentioned, is peculiar 
to individuals. At least, it would be very absurd to sup- 
pose, that precisely the same constitutional sin or infirmity 
could be attached to a whole community, consisting of many 
hundreds or thousands, among whom must exist and appear 
a vast variety, in respect to constitutional temperament of 
both mind and body. Unbelief, particularly, as including 
the danger of final apostacy, appears to be what the apostle 
intended by this sin. For this is, in fact, the sin which ea- 
sily and eminently besets Christians generally. (Mark xvi, 
14 : Luke xvii, 5 : Heb. iii, 12.) And it may well be sup- 
posed, that it would easily beset Christians in the apostolic 
age, particularly ; for that was an age of persecution, and 
Christians would be in peculiar danger of apostatising from 
Christianity, through fear of sufferings. No wonder, if, in 
such circumstances, such fiery trials, unbelief should have 
easily beset them, and they should have found it hard work 
to believe in the promise, " I will never leave thee, nor for- 
sake thee ;" and so to believe in it as to say, " The Lord 
is my helper : I will not fear what man shall do unto me." 
(Ch. xiii, 5, 6.) Again; from the connection, and from 
the general scope of the apostle, it is manifest that the sin 
here mentioned is directly opposed, both to the virtue which 
had been so accurately defined and so highly celebrated in 
the preceding chapter, which was faith, and also to the duty 
immediately urged, viz. " looking unto Jesus," which, also, 
is faith. Hence arises additional evidence that the sin itself 
is unbelief, as above explained. — Before we leave this sub- 
ject, it is natural to reflect, what a solemn and energetic 
motive to activity and diligence, in running the christian 
race, is here set before us ! There is evidently, throughout 
the whole of this first verse, an allusion to such races as 
were performed at the Isthmian and other ancient games. 
(See the notes on 1 Cor. ix, 24 — 26.) We Christians, aU 



172 CRITICAL AND 

SO, like those runners, are surrounded by a great cloud of 

witnesses, both in heaven and on earth, and perhaps by the 
spirits of some of our near departed relatives and friends. 
Like them, loe must lay aside, and throw away, every thing 
which would retard our progress, such as our sins, worldly 
cares, &c.; and as they pressed forward toward the mark, 
having their eyes constantly fixed on the goal, the end of 
their race ; so must ive press forward, " looking unto Je- 
sus ;" or, as the original imports, looking off, i. e. looking 
off from every created object, unto Jesus, who is not only 
the author, but perfecter of our faith, and who still proclaims, 
*' Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown 
oflife.'^ (Rev.ii,10.) 

Yeese 17. 

" For ye know how that afterward, when he would have 
inherited the blessing, he was rejected : for he found no place 
of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." 

The question is, what is meant by the pronoun it, in this 
text 1 To what does it refer — to the blessing, or to repent- 
ance ? In other words, what was it which Esau so earnestly 
sought, but could not find 1 I answer — repentance. This 
appears from the very structure of the passage ; for the 
first clause of this verse is wholly distinct from the last, and 
is accordingly separated from it in our bibles by a colon ; 
and of course, as (xs-ravoia^ (repentance) is the nearest, so 
it is the only proper antecedent to the pronoun aur^jv, (it.) 
Rejjentance, then, was the object which Esau sought, but 
could not find ; no, not " though he sought it carefully with 
tears." But how can this be consistent with such scriptures 
as these : — " Ask, and ye shall receive ; seek, and ye shall 
find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : For every 
one that asketh, receiveth ; and he that seeketh, findeth ; 
and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened?" (Mat vii, 7, 
8.) In reply, it must be observed, that the repentance 
Esau sought, was repentance not in himself, but in his fa- 
ther ; and that the repentance he sought for in his father, 
was not of an evangelical and spiritual, but wholly of a 
worldly kind. But to understand this matter fully, we must 
go back to the history to which this passage refers. " And 
when Esc^u heard the words of his father, (i. e. lUs declara- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 173 

tion that he had blessed Jacob, and that he should be bless- 
ed), he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said 
unto his father, bless me, even me also, my father. And 
he (Isaac) said, thy brother came with subtilty, and hath 
taken away thy blessing. And he (Esau) said, is not he 
rightly named Jacob 1 for he hath supplanted me these two 
times : He took away my birthright, and behold now he 
hath taken- away my blessing. And he said, hast thou not 
reserved a blessing for me ? And Isaac answered, and said 
unto Esau, behold I have made him thy lord, and all his 
brethren have I given unto him for servants, and with corn 
and wine have I sustained him ; and what shall I do now 
unto thee, my son 1 And Esau said unto his father, hast 
thou hut one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, 
O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept." 
(Gen. xxvii, 34 — 39.) How earnest was the son ; but how 
inflexible the father ! Esau sought repentance in his father's 
mind, but could not find it, though he sought it carefully 
with tears. He earnestly, though unsuccessfully, sought 
to make his father revoke the blessing he had given to Ja- 
cob, and give it to himself. The precise meaning of the 
word fAsravoja is, a change of mind ; and the evident mean- 
ing of this passage is, that Esau could not change his fath- 
er's mind, in respect to the benediction. The patriarch had 
already blessed Jacob ; " yea, and he should be blessed." 

Verse 18. 

"For ye are not come unto the mount that might be 
touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and 
darkness, and tempest." 

The apostle did not mean what some may conclude from 
his words that he meant, viz. that Mount-Sinai might be 
touched lawfully, or safely, and with impunity. The con> 
trary appears from Ex. xix, 12, where the Israelites were 
expressly forbidden to touch the mount, even the border of 
it, on pain of death. The Greek word here used may be 
translated, and must here mean, tangible — the object of 
touch, or that which is capable of being touched. In this 
sense, only, is St. Paul to be understood, when he says of 
Mount-Sinai, that it "might be touched;" and we may 
15* 



174 CRITICAL AND 

hence perceive, that there is not in reality the least incon- 
sistency between what Moses and St. Paul say in relation ji 
to this matter. 

Terse 24. 

" And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better 

things than the blood of Abel." 

In many respects does the blood of Christ speak better^ 
thmgs than that of Abel, but chiefly in this : The latter cried 
for vengeance, (Gen. iv, 10) ; the former crieth for mercy. 
Its language is, " Father, forgive them ; for they know not 
what they do." 

JAMES. 

Chapter i, Verse 13. 

" Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of 
God ; for God cannot be tempted with evil ; neither tempt- 
eth he any man." 

But how can this text be reconciled with Gen. xxii, 1 : — 
*' And it came to pass, after these things, that God did 
tempt Abraham?' The original word translated tempt, 
tempteth, is the same in the Greek New Testament and in 
the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament ; and this 
very circumstance seems, at first, to increase the difficulty. 
But there is no contradiction between these two texts. It 
has been already remarked, in the criticism on 2 Cor. xii, 
16, that words the same in the original, and in our transla- 
tion too, are used sometimes in a good sense, sometimes in 
a bad one. Now, the Greek word ■n'sipoc^w is one of that 
class of words. It is used in a good sense, in John vi, 6 : 
2 Cor. xiii, 5 : Heb. xi, 17. It is used in a bad sense, in 
Mat. xvi, 1, and xxii, 18, 35 : 1 Cor. x, 9 : 1 Thess. iii, 5. 
As used in the good sense, it signifies merely to prove, exa- 
mine, make trial of; but as used in the bad sense, it signifies 
to solicit to sin. We may hence perceive the true meaning, 
and at the same time the mutual consistency, of the two 
passages in James and Genesis. When Moses says, " God 
did tempt Abraham," he means simply — He tried, proved 
him. When James says, *' Neither tempteth He any man," 
he means — He doth not solicit any one to sin. In this last 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 175 

sense, " every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of 
his own lust, and enticed." (Yerse 14.) 

Chap, ii, 24. 
" Ye see, then, how that by works a man is justified, and 
not by faith only." 

So says St. James. But St. Paul seems to speak quite 
differently, for he says, in Rom. iii, 20 — '* Therefore, by the 
deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his 
sight ;" and again still more definitely and fully in verse 
28 — " Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by 
faith, without the deeds of the law." Now, on first inspec- 
tion, it is evident that either these two apostles contradict 
each other ; or they must speak of different hinds of justifi- 
cation. The latter is undoubtedly the truth. St. Paul is 
speaking of justification before God, His words are, '* By 
the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his 
sight;" or, (as the original exactly signifies), befor^e Him, 
But James treats of justification in another view. His main 
object is to show, that true faith is not a fruitless principle ; 
that faith and works must and will go together ; and that 
whenever any supposed faith is not accompanied by good 
works, it is worthless, yea, is no faith. For thus he 
speaks :— " What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man 
say he hath faith, and have not works ; can faith save him ? 
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 
and one of you say unto them, depart in peace ; be ye 
warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye give them not those 
things which are needful to the body ; what doth it profit 1 
Even so, faith, if it have not works, is dead, being alone. 
Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works ; 
show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my 
faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God ; 
thou doest well: The devils (demons) also believe and 
tremble. But wilt thou know, vain man, that faith with- 
out works is dead ?" (Yerses 14 — 20.) The doctrines of 
gratuitous justification before God, and of salvation by free 
sovereign grace, as taught by St. Paul, had been abused by 
some in the apostolic age, (as they have been by many in 
our own), and had been perverted to very bad purposes. 



176 CRITICAL AND 

(See Jude, verse 4.) The language of these men has ever 
been to this purpose — ' If the doctrine of eternal personal 
election be. true, and we are saved by mere grace, then 
works are unnecessary, so far, at least, as respects our own 
salvation.' Now, it was probably with a view to such abuse 
and perversion of the doctrines of grace, and to prevent 
them effectually, if possible, in time to come, that St. James 
became such a strenuous advocate for works. On the 
whole, in the case before us, there is no contradiction be- 
tween these two apostles. Paul pleads for the reality ; 
James for the visibility. In a word, the former intends jus- 
tification before God ; the latter, justification before men. 

Chap, v, 16. 
•' The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man 



availeth much ;" literally, the imvr ought prayer, i. e. the 
prayer wrought in his soul by the Holy Spirit. 

Though, however, the original word must express in this 
place, primarily and directly, not so much the exercises and 
agency of the creature in prayer, as divine influence, produ- 
cing such exercises and agency ; yet the former are also re- 
ferred to, viz. the personal earnestness of the righteous 
man in prayer. Thus much, to be sure, appears from the 
instance the apostle immediately mentions, in illustration of 
what he had just before asserted, viz. the instance of Elijah. 
*' Elias (or Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as 
we are, and he prayed earnestly — prayed with a prayer, (a 
Hebrew idiom), that it might not rain," &c. Have we ev- 
er prayed in this manner ? 



I. PETER. 

Chapter i. Verse 5. 

" Who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto 
salvation." 

The Greek (p^ou^jjfxsvou?, translated kept, is properly a mil- 
itary or rather a martial term, and signifies kept as in a gar- 
rison. A circumstance, this, showing in a very impressive 
manner, how strongly believers are fortified in their strong 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 177 

holdj the Lord Jesus. They are kept or garrisoned by the 
power of God, through faith, unto salvation. How does 
the expression guard against presumption on the one hand, 
and indolence on the other ! We must not presume on " our 
own power or holiness," as though they were sufficient to 
keep us. No ; it is by the power of God that we are kept. 
But what shall we say, then 1 That there is nothing for us 
to do ? Far be it that we should say or think so. We must 
believe ; must use the appointed means of grace ; must 
work out our own salvation, and give all diligence for this 
purpose. In short, divine power is the efficient cause ; our 
own diligence is the instrumental cause, of our christian pre- 
servation and final perseverance. And what God hath join- 
ed together, let not man presume to put asunder. 

Chap, hi, 19, 20. 

" By which, also, he went and preached unto the spirits in 
prison ; which sometime were disobedient, when once the 
long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the 
ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were 
saved by water." 

From this scripture, some have inferred that our Saviour, 
after his crucifixion, actually went to the regions of the 
damned, and there preached the gospel, and offered salva- 
tion ; and this sentiment has been supposed to derive yet 
further countenance from the noted passage in Ps. xvi, 
10, which by St. Peter (Acts ii, 31) is expressly applied to 
Jesus Christ. But for the true meaning of Acts ii, 31, see 
the critical remarks on that text in page 64 ; where it was 
shown that the word there translated hell, has no necessary 
connection with future punishment, but signifies, in itself 
considered, either the grave, or the state of the dead, i. e. the 
invisible separate state generally, whether that state be a 
state of happiness or of misery. To hell, the place of tor- 
ment, our Saviour never went. Nor does the text now un- 
der consideration afford the least evidence that he ever did. 
It is not said, he went to the prison of those spirits ; but 
that he went and preached unto the spirits in prison ; went, 
says Matthew Henry, " not by a local motion, but by spe- 
cial operation." It is worthy of remark, also, that the word 



17S CRITICAL AND 

here rendered jjreached, is not that which signifies appropri- 
ately, and by way of eminence, to preach the gospel, or to 
declare the glad -tidings. The original word signifies mere- 
ly to publish, to proclaim as a herald or pubHc crier : And 
though it is in the scriptures frequently applied to the gospel, 
to denote the publication of that also ; yet it is by no means 
restricted to that sense, but is equally applicable to evil as 
to good, to happiness as to misery. (See the notes on Mark 
iii, 15.) Therefore, even on the absurd supposition that 
Christ was employed during the interval of time between 
his death and resurrection, in an embassy to those incarce- 
rated spirits, it would not certainly follow that he published 
the gospel to them ; that he declared to them the good news, 
the glad tidings, and ofi^ered them salvation. But his pub- 
lishing, his preaching, might have been, for aught we know, 
only a renewed annunciation, that ' there remained no more 
a sacrifice for their sins ; but a certain fearful looking for of 
judgment, and fiery indignation, which should devour them 
as adversaries.' (Heb. x, 26, 27.) 

But it is time to show positively what the true meaning of 
this scripture is. And for this purpose it must be observed, 
that the spirits here mentioned, are evidently the spirits, the 
souls, of Noah's contemporaries ; for they are said to have 
been disobedient, u'hen once the long-suffering of God wait- 
ed in the days of JS^oah. But surely this was impossible, 
unless they then existed. And whereas these spirits are 
here represented as in prison ; this imports that they were, 
when St. Peter wrote, in the prison of torment. To those 
spirits, souls, or persons, while they were on earth, Christ 
preached by his Spirit, and through or by means of his ser- 
vant Noah ; i. e. he sent Noah to preach to his contempo- 
raries, the wicked inhabitants of the old world; to set be- 
fore them their sins, and call them to repentance ; and to 
publish, proclaim to them, the impending judgments of Je- 
hovah, and especially the tremendous judgment of a gene- 
ral deluge, which, unless they should seasonably repent, 
would soon come, overtop the highest mountains, and utter- 
ly exterminate all that guilty generation from off* the face of 
the earth. Such appears to be the true and the sole mean^ 
jng of the above passage. 



IXPLANATORY NOTES. 179 

IL PETER. 

Chapter i, Yerse 20. 

" Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is 
of any private interpretation." 

What could the apostle have meant by this last clause — 
" any private interpretation 1" Some, the Papists especially, 
have explained it, as denoting that individuals, as such, have 
no right to judge and determine about the meaning of scrip- 
ture for themselves — to put their own private constructions 
upon it ; but, in opposition to this, they should receive as 
correct and authentic the interpretation put upon it by the 
church. This, of course, supposes that the church does 
not, will not, cannot, err in its decisions relative to this sub- 
ject. It supposes that there is in the church someivhere^ a 
sort of infallibility, in its interpretations of scripture. But 
infallibility is not allowed to have existed in any men, or ih 
any body of men, since the age of inspiration. Nor is it 
allowed that the right of private judgment has ceased, or ev- 
er will cease. Henry interprets the words, " any private 
interpretation," to mean private, individual opinion, and 
supposes the meaning of this text to be, that no prophecy, 
nor part of holy scripture, is to be considered as the mere 
private individual opinion or wish of the writer ; but rather 
as " the mind of the Spirit," as a revelation from God. But 
this interpretation makes the next verse a mere repetition of 
this, and not a reason for what is here said ; and is far from 
being satisfactory. It ought to be remembered, that it is 
only the prophecies of scripture that are here mentioned, and 
that of them only is it here said, that they are of no private 
interpretation. The primary and most proper meaning of 
the Greek word rendered private, is one's own ; and it may 
denote either his own, or their own, according to circum- 
stances. This text, then, may be understood as teaching, 
either — 

1st. That the Old Testament prophets did not undertake 
to give their otvn particular views and interpretations of those 
predictions which they delivered, viz. of their import, and 
how they were to be fulfilled. And there was a reason why 
they should not. They did not, we must suppose, under- 
stand fully their own writings ; and even if they had fully 



180 CRITICAL AND | 

understood them, yet their commission and business as 
prophetsj would have required them rather to predict than to - i 
explain. Or, S{ 

2d. This text may be understood as teaching, that no 
prophecy of the scripture is of its own interpretation ; i. e. 
(to adopt the words used in Robinson's Wahl), " No pro- 
phetic declaration of the scripture is to be explained hij iU 
self, or without reference to the event." Certainly, many 
of the prophecies of scripture, and more especially those 
which are expressed in figurative language, are of such a 
nature, that they cannot be explained 0/ themselves, and hy 
themselves, nor in any other way than by their accomplish- 
ment. We must, therefore, wait for the events to take 
place ; and comparing the one with the other, the prophe- 
cies with the events — then, and not until then, shall we ful- 
ly understand those prophecies. 

Chap, ii, 1. 

" But there were false prophets, also, among the people, 
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily 
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord 
that bought them." 

The two Greek words, translated " damnable heresies," 
signify literally and exactly, heresies of destruction, i. e. de- 
structive heresies. Of these, only one is here specified, 
viz. " denying the Lord that bought them." This implies, 
not only a practical disobedience to his authority, but also, 
and most directly, a denial of his divinity. And surely, * he 
that hath an ear should hear what the Spirit here saith to the 
churches.' This warning is as important, and as necessary 
to be regarded, noiv^ as it was in the apostolic age ; for how 
many false teachers are there now among the people, who 
introduce destructive heresies, and particularly the one men- 
tioned in this text ; teachers who deny the Lord that bought 
them ; who deny his divinity ; who assert that he was a mere 
man, or at most a mere creature ; and who do this and 
such like things privily, not letting their real sentiments be 
known at first, nor until by artful management, they shall 
have prepared the way for their probable ultimate reception 
and triumph. But how dreadful will be the end of such 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 181 

teachers, and of their deluded followers ! They " bring on 
themselves swift destruction." 



I. JOHN. 

Chapter i, Yerse ^. 

*' If We walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have 
fellowship one with another." 

On this passage I shall make only one remark, and that 
not so much critical as practical. It is this ; that in order 
to enjoy fellowship with our christian brethren, it is abso- 
lutely necessary that we should walk in the light ourselves ; 
should live near to God, especially in the performance of 
secret duties. Our hearts must be right toward Him, and 
his truth and cause, in order that they may be right toward 
and with our brethren. 

Chap, hi, 9. 

" Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin, for his 
seed reraaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is 
born of God." 

It is certain that this passage must be understood with 
some qualification ; otherwise St. John would expressly 
contradict other inspired writers, as well as the testimony 
of universal observation and experience. Nay more ; he 
would expressly contradict himself. For this same apostle 
says, (chap, i, 8), ^' If we say that we have no sin, we de- 
ceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." The word ifoisT, 
which is here translated commit, may be translated, and 
must here mean, loork. Thus : ' Whosoever is born of 
God doth not work sin ;' i. e. doth not make a business of 
it ; doth not practise sin ; doth not sin allowedly and hahitii- 
ally, as others do, and as he himself once did. The reason 
is, " his seed remaineth in him ;" that seed of divine truth 
and grace which is incorruptible ; that principle of life and 
vigor which is always in his soul, opposing sinful, and pro- 
moting holy exercises of heart. For the same reason, also, 
and because he is truly born of God, he cannot sin, i. e. 

16 



182 CRITICAL AND 

habitually, as others do who have not been born of Goi 
that isj it is morally impossible he should thus sin. 



JUDE. 

Verse 9. 

'' Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the 
devil, (he disputed about the body of Moses), durst not 
bring against him a railing accusation ; but said, the Lord 
rebuke thee." 

The only particular in this verse, of which I shall attempt 
an explanation — the only one, indeed, which appears neces- 
sary to be explained, is that which relates to Michael's dis- 
pute and contention with the devil, about the body of Mo- 
ses. By the body of Moses, some understand the Jewish 
church, which, they suppose, may be called the body of Mo- 
ses, in much the same sense as the christian church is in 
the New Testament called the body of Christ. But by the 
body of Moses, in this place, is probably intended his dead 
body — his corpse. We read, in Deut. xxxiv, 5, 6 — " So 
Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of 
Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried 
him in a valley, in the land of Moab, over against Beth- 
Peor : But no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day." 
The Lord, then, buried Moses, but probably through the 
instrumentality of Michael, the archangel. The reason for 
this extraordinary burial of Moses' body, and for its subse- 
quent concealment, is not revealed. It is supposed, how- 
ever, to have been as follows, viz : that the archangel per- 
ceived if the Israelites had buried him, and had of course 
known Ihe place of his sepulchre, they would afterwards 
have dug up or disinterred his body, and paid divine honors 
to it. The devil is supposed to have been sensible of this, 
as well as Michael. Hence, and because he wished to pro- 
mote such idolatry, he endeavors to get possession of the 
body. In the mean time, however, Michael interposes, 
resists the devil, and frustrates his impious purpose. Such 
mutual contest between Michael and the devil, is supposed 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 183 

to have been the thing intended by St. Jude, in this place. 
The above appears by far the most satisfactory interpreta- 
tion, especially vi^hen we consider the fact, that the devil's 
policy has always been to promote this species of idolatry. 
And alas ! in this he has been too successful, as appears 
particularly in the Romish church, where the worship of 
saints and of images has been, and still is, so general. 



REYELATIO^^, 



Chapter iv, Yerse 6. 

'* And before the throne was a sea of glass, like unto 
crystal ; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the 
throne, were four beasts, full of eyes before and behind." 

The word beast, in our language, properly denotes a brute, 
a dumb, irrational animal ; of course, a mere agent, not a 
moral agent of any kind. In this sense, also, the word is 
understood by the common people. Hence the difficulty in 
the way of their understanding what St. John means, in his 
representation of these four beasts, as round about the throne 
of God, and as there uniting vvith the twenty-four elders in 
their celestial praises. Can beasts, say they, be in heaven? 
And even if they could be there, yet how can they perform 
that adoring worship which is here ascribed to them ? For 
the information, then, of common readers, it should be ob- 
served, that though in A» D. 1613, when the present Eng- 
lish version of the Bible was published, the term beasts, as 
it was then understood, might have correctly expressed the 
import of the original word, (^wa), this is not the case now. 
The word signifies precisely living creatures. And though 
the word itself is generic, and may mean living creatures of 
any description ; and though it does in fact sometimes de- 
note dumb creatures, brutes, as in Heb. xiii, 11:2 Pet. ii, 
12 ; yet, in this passage, it must signify intelligent and holy 
creatures only ; for surely none but such can be round about 
ihe throne of Jehovah, worshipping him. 



184 CRITICAL AND 

Chap, v, 1. 

"And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the 
throne, a book written within and on the back side, sealed 
with seven seals." 

To speak of a book's being written within and on the back 
side, sounds somewhat strange to an English reader. In- 
deed, he knows not what to make of the expression, " writ- 
ten on the back side," unless it be that it was written on the 
cover ; for the cover of the book is what he would naturally 
understand by its back side. Here, again, it becomes ne- 
cessary to advert to ancient customs. The books of the 
ancients were very different from ours. They consisted of 
long scrolls, (commonly made of parchment), sewed or past- 
ed together, and fastened at the end to two rollers, much as 
coir large maps now are. Hence we read of the roll of a 
book, as in Jer. xxxvi, 2. These scrolls were seldom writ- 
ten except on the inner side ; that being the side, which, 
when the scrolls were rolled up, would of course be turned 
in. Sometimes, however, and in extraordinary cases, the 
other side or outside of these scrolls was written on like- 
wise ; and when this was the case, it was a sign that the 
scroll contained more matter than usual, and was on tha.t 
account particularly entitled to the deep and solemn atten- 
tion of mankind. Such, let it be remembered, were the 
^icXj'a, or books of the ancients ; and such, says Doddridge, 
the copies of the Old Testament in the Jewish synagogues 
now are. The preceding remarks may, it is hoped, serve 
to explain satisfactorily the passage now under considera- 
tion, so far as the nature of the book here mentioned is con- 
cerned. 

Chap, xi, 1—13. 

" And there was given me a reed like unto a rod ; and 
the angel stood, saying, rise, and measure the temple of 
God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the 
court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it 
not ; for it is given unto the Gentiles ; and the holy city 
shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I 
will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall pro- 
phesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days, clothed 
in sackcloth. These are the two olive-trees, and the two 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 185 

candlesticks standing before the God of the earth : And if 
any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, 
and devoureth their enemies : And if any man will hurt them, 
he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut 
heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy ; and 
have power over waters, to turn them to blood, and to smite 
the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when 
they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that as- 
cendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make w^ar against 
them, and shall overcome them, and kill them ; and their 
dead bodies shall He in the street of the great city, which 
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord 
was crucified. And they of the people, and kindreds, and 
tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three days 
and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put 
in graves : And they that dv/ell upon the earth shall rejoice 
over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to ano- 
ther; because these two prophets tormented them that 
dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half, the 
spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood 
upon their feet ; and great fear fell upon them which saw 
them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying 
unto them, come up hither : And they ascended up to heav- 
en in a cloud ; and their enemies beheld them. And the 
same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part 
of the city fell ; and in the earthquake were slain of men 
seven thousand ; and the remnant were afii'ighted, and gave 
glory to the God of heaven." 

As the above paragraph is more evidently determinate, 
in respect of meaning and application, than many or most 
other parts of the Apocalypse ; and as it discloses many 
most important events in the moral world, a great part of 
which have already taken place, and are recorded in ecclesi- 
astical history; and as most of those readers for whom 
chiefly this work is designed, do find difficulty in under- 
standing what the inspired revelator here says, and need as- 
sistance for that purpose ; for these reasons, the whole par- 
agraph is considered as proper for insertion in the present 
work. 

16* 



186 CRITICAL AND 

A reed having been given to the apostle, he was directed 
to measure therewith the temple of God, and the altar, and 
them that worshipped therein. By the temple of God and 
the altar are intended the places where spiritual worship was 
performed ; and by them that worshipped therein, those are 
meant who really performed such worship. The court with- 
out the temple (verse 2) signifies mere nominal Christians — 
formal professors. This court being given to the Gentiles, 
denotes that such professors would be under the influence 
of the maxims, policy, and power of the surrounding ungodly 
world ; which has always been the case with mere nominal 
Christians. The treading of the holy city under foot forty 
and two months, exhibits the character and the duration of 
the papal tyranny, and implies, that during all this period, 
true religion would be in a languishing and depressed state. 
It is allowed by all judicious commentators, that the forty 
and two months here mentioned, are to be understood not in 
the literal, but in the prophetical sense, according to the 
usual chronological reckoning in other parts of this book. 
Of course, by these forty and two months must be intended 
a duration, the same with that of the one thousand two hun- 
dred and three score days mentioned in the next succeeding 
verse ; for 42, multiplied by 30, the average number of days 
in a month, yield a product of 1260. It is said, (verse 3), 
*' And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they 
shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, 
clothed in sackcloth." These two witnesses cannot denote 
two individuals merely, because these same two witnesses 
are represented as prophesying through the entire duration 
of the apostacy ; that is, during the whole of the 1260 pro- 
phetical days, by which are intended so many literal years, 
according to the computation in Num. xiv, 34, " forty days, 
each day for a year." (See also Ezek. iv, 4, 5, 6.) But it 
is very absurd to suppose, that two individuals should proph- 
esy for such a great length of time ; because never, not even 
in the antediluvian age, have men lived so long. The most 
probable opinion is, that a definite number is here used for 
an indefinite and a sufficient one ; two or three having been 
the number specified under the law, (Deut. xix, 15), and 
under the gospel too, (2 Cor. xiii, 1), as necessary, and as 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 187 

sufficient for the confirmation of any testimony, or for the 
establishment of any matter of fact. By these two witness- 
es prophesying, is intended, not their predicting future 
events, but their expounding the holy scriptures ; their in- 
structing, and warning, and exhorting the people in divine 
things ; (this being the sense in which the word is common- 
ly used in the New Testament) ; and particularly their bear- 
ing testimony against the errors, corruptions, and wicked- 
ness of that period. The general meaning of this verse ap- 
pears to be, that during the entire continuance of that nomi- 
nally christian, but yet really anti-christian power, a compe- 
tent and siijjicient number of witnesses would be raised up 
to protest against its enormities ; which, in the sequel, we 
shall see has hitherto been the case. These two witnesses 
are said (verse 4) to be, "the two olive-trees, and the two 
candlesticks, standing before the Goo of the earth." These 
appellations, as applied to them, signify that Goo's faithful 
witnesses are precious in his sight, and are appointed and es- 
tablished to preserve the pure light of truth, and to diffuse 
its irradiating beams among a benighted world. If any one 
should hurt these witnesses, (verse 5), the signal vengeance 
of Heaven would surely overtake him for so doing. These 
witnesses are said (verse 6) to '' have power to shut heaven, 
that it rain not in the days of their prophecy;" and also to 
*' have power over waters, to turn them to blood, and to 
smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will ;" by 
which strong figurative language it is represented, that great 
would their interest in heaven be, and great their influence 
(should they choose to exert it), either in preventing the de- 
scent of blessings, or in procuring the infliction of judgments 
on their enemies and persecutors. It is said, (verse 7), "And 
when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that 
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against 
them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." The word 
TsXsVw^i may be understood as meaning, " when they shall 
be about to finish ;" and as it may be thus translated, so in 
this place it sJiould be. For as the exasperation and vio- 
lence of the beast agEiinst the witnesses were evidently owing 
to their testimomj, they would more naturally be excited du- 
ring the continuance, ihsoi after the close, or total cessation 



188 CRITICAL AND 

of that testimony. We read, (verse 8), " And their dead 
bodies shall lie in the street of that great city, which spiritu- 
ally is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was 
crucified." By the "great city," must be intended gene- 
rally the Roman empire, which is here, by implication, as- 
similated to Sodom and Egypt. Sodom was distinguished 
for its lewdness, and Egypt for its cruelty toward^ the peo- 
ple of God ; and papal Rome has been similarly notorious 
for its spiritual lewdness^ or idolatry, and for its intolerance 
and cruelty towards Protestants. In that great city, that is, 
in Judea, which was then a constituent part of the Roman 
empire — a street, as it were, of the great city, our Lord was 
personally crucified, and has since been often "crucified 
afresh" in his people. The surrounding ungodly world, the 
adherents of the beast, seeing the witnesses already dead, 
would be so far from being moved with sympathy towards 
them, that they would not even allow them the customary 
and the very reasonable privilege of a burial : Nay, they 
would even " rejoice over them, and make merry, and send 
gifts one to another," to testify their mutual congratulations. 
To the eye of sense the appearance now was, that " truth 
had fallen in the streets," and that there would be none to 
" contend earnest^ for the faith which was once delivered 
unto the saints." But man's extremity, and especially the 
church's extremity, is God's opportunity. We see, in this 
case, that "the triumphing of the wicked is short;" for behold, 
" after three (prophetical) days and a half, the spirit of life 
from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, 
and great fear fell upon them that saw them." (Versell.) At 
this most critical time, these witnesses revive, and prophesy 
again. But this was not all. For soon " they heard a great 
voice from heaven, saying unto them. Come up hither. 
And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud ; and their ene- 
mies beheld them." (Verse 12.) They were elevated to 
an honorable and glorious station, and became the objects 
of special divine approbation and protection ; and that too 
in the view, and to the amazement and mortification of their 
enemies. " And the same hour, (verse 13), was there a 
great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell ; and m 
the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, (Greek, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 18^ 

seven thousand names of men) ; and the remnant were af- 
frighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." This 
shows, that after the resurrection and ascension of the wit- 
nesses, there would he a great shaking and revolution in the 
dominions of the beast, or among the apostate papal church ; 
that a considerable part of it would immediately fall, i. e. 
secede from papal jurisdiction and connection, and receive 
the truth as it is in Jesus ; and the remainder would be so 
" affrighted" by this unexpected occurrence, that they would 
in a sense give glory to the God of heaven ; so far, at least, 
it may be supposed, as to cease from open hostility and per- 
secution, and to acknowledge the providence of God, as 
exhibited in rewarding his faithful servants, and in punish- 
ing his and their enemies. — In support of this interpretation, 
so far as relates to the beast and the witnesses, and their mu- 
tual conflict with each other, I shall now mention a few facts, 
as stated in authentic ecclesiastical history. In about three 
hundred and twenty years after Christ, pagan persecution 
ceased. Under the reign of Constantino, the first christian 
emperor, Christianity became the established religion of the 
Roman empire. But alas ! the gold soon became dim, and 
the most fine gold was soon changed. That worldly ease 
and affluence, which arose from governmental protection and 
favor, did more injury to the cause of vital godliness, than 
ten successive persecutions had done. The bishops became 
ambitious of worldly power and distinction. The visible 
church, though greatly increased in numbers, by means of 
outward favorable circumstances, soon showed signs of de- 
cay in point of spirituality. In A. D. 606, the bishop of 
Rome was, by an imperial edict, constituted universal bish- 
op ; and the saints then began to be delivered into his hand. 
Hitherto, however, the Roman pontiff had exercised no ju- 
risdiction, except in spiritual things. But in A. D. 756, 
the exarchate of Ravenna was assigned to him, and he be- 
came thereby a temporal prince. In A. D. 787, a papal 
council decreed the worship of images. Meanwhile, how- 
ever, the witnesses appeared ; and in A. D. 794, image- 
worship was condemned by a council of three hundred bish- 
ops. In the eleventh century, the witnesses became more 
numerous, more bold, and more successful. The most 



190 CRITICAL AND 

distinguished of them, in that age, were the Waldenses, and 
the Albigenses. In the vaUies of Piedmont they " kept the 
commandments of God, andtlie faith of Jesus," and protest- 
ed against the errors and sins of the times. In A. D. 1206, 
the inquisition, that horrid engine of popery, was estabhsh- 
ed ; and these faithful witnesses were the first who experi- 
enced its cruelties. But no papal cruelties nor stratagems 
could either cool their ardor or damp their courage. They 
still persevered in their testimony, boldly declaring, ' that 
the church of Rome had renounced the faith of Christ, and 
was the whore of Babylon ; that the fire of purgatory, the 
sacrament of mass, the worship of saints, &c. were the in- 
ventions of Satan.' Perceiving that the ignorance, indo- 
lence, and dissoluteness of the Roman clergy, had been the 
great means of the so general prevalence of error and 
wickedness ; and wisely concluding, that for the restora- 
tion and preservation of *' the faith once delivered unto the 
saints," a pious, learned, and active m.inistry was, under 
God, necessary ; they soon turned their attention to this 
latter object. And among other means used to attain it, 
was the following. They required of their pastors, before 
they were ordained, that " they should learn by heart all the 
chapters of Matthew and John, all the canonical epistles, 
and a good part of the v/ritings of David, Solomon, and the 
prophets." (Milner.) In A. D. 1229, the papal authority, 
with the Roman pontiff at their head, solemnly forbade the 
use of the scriptures to the common people. In connection 
with this, they denied the right of private judgment in mat- 
ters of religion, and required the people to receive as au- 
thoritative and final, the decisions of the church, i. e. the 
Roman church, in respect to all matters of doctrine, disci- 
pline, and worship. Against such tyrannical and antichris- 
tian measures, the witnesses vigorously protested. The 
papal maxim, " Ignorance is the mother of devotion," they 
boldly condemned ; and at the same time declared and 
proved the absolute necessity of a knowledge of the holy 
scriptures, not only for ministers, but for the common peo- 
* pie also. For several hundred years, there had been no 
translation of the Bible in use, beside the Latin Vulgate ; 
and as the Latin language itself was not well understood 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 191 

by a great proportion of the people, the necessity of the 
translation of that blessed volume into other languages, and 
particularly into the English, was very obvious. Accord- 
ingly, in about A. D. 1367, WicklifF translated the New 
Testament into English. And though for reading it, many 
suffered death ; though Wickhff's books, as well as his body 
were burned by the Papists, the holy flame could not be 
quenched, nor could the increasing progress of truth be ar- 
rested. In the fifteenth century, *' darkness covered the 
earth, and gross darkness the people." Yet even then the 
Lord had his witnesses. The most distinguished of them 
were, John Huss, and Jerome of Prague, who, for receiving 
Wickliff's books, and for zealously propagating his senti- 
ments, were burned to death, by order of the council of 
Constance. Then it was that the cause of the witnesses 
appeared almost desperate. But in the next century it re- 
vived ; for then appeared Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, and 
others, through whose testimony a deadly blow was given 
to the beast. Then the fainting cause of truth revived ; and 
as it was always honorable and glorious in the eyes of the 
Lord, (being, indeed, his own cause), so now it began to be 
increasingly so in the eyes of men. In vain were the re- 
formers' books burned, and their lives threatened. In spite 
of ail the Qn\j and wrath of the beast, the light of the refor- 
mation soon spread from Germany into most of the nations 
of Europe. Since that period, the witnesses for God have 
greatly increased, both in numbers and influence ; and the 
cause of truth, in opposition to the commandments and tra- 
ditions of men, has gradually advanced. Still, however, 
the war is not over. The vigorous efforts now made by the 
Romanists, to establish their religion in our oiun country, 
and especially in the great valley of the Mississippi, invest 
this subject v/ith an interest, which cannot fail of being 
deeply felt by every true Christian, and by every genuine 
patriot amono: us. Present appearances indicate it as not 
at all improbable, that our struggle with Romanism and in- 
fidelity may be even more severe than it ever yet has been. 
But let every friend of Christ be at his post, and do his du- 
ty. The late resolution of the American Sunday School 
Union, to establish Sabbath schools throughout the valley 



192 ^ CRITICAL AND 

of the Mississippi, (wherever it should be practicable), with- 
in the space of two years, is worthy of all praise. And while 
we say so, how important it is that we should, as far as pos* 
sible, second their efforts ; for how can they accomplish this 
mighty work, without the Co-operation of the christian pub* 
lie X The most effectual way we can take ^o guard against 
Romanism, and against Antichristianism, (in whatever form 
it may appear), is to diffuse far and wide the pure light of 
God's word ; that light which Heaven will bless for the 
salvation of souls ; and, especially, to instill its blessed 
principles into the minds of the rising generation. Let all 
the friends of Christ, then, do their duty in this respect, and 
they need have no fears about the final result. Babylon 
must fall ; and the kingdoms of this world will finally be- 
come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ ; and he 
shall reign for ever and ever. (Verse 15.) 

Chap, xx, 4, 5. 

" And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judg- 
ment was given unto them : And I saw the souls of them 
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the 
word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, nei- 
ther his image ; neither had received his mark upon their 
foreheads, or in their hands ; and they lived and reigned 
with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead liv- 
ed not again, until the thousand years were finished. This 
is the first resurrection." 

It has been a very prevalent opinion among Christians, 
that the church of God is yet to enjoy a period of hitherto un- 
equalled prosperity on earth. This period has been usually 
styled the millennium, and has been supposed to be predict- 
ed or referred to in several places of scripture ; but in none 
so clearly, and so definitely, as in the one now under con- 
sideration. Hence the deep interest Christians have so gen- 
erally had in this part of holy writ. Hence their desire to un- 
derstand aright its true meaning ; and hence the questions 
they have so frequently proposed to ministers and others, 
for this purpose. On the subject of the first resurrection, as 
connected with that of the millennium, many persons have 
been equally inquisitive. It cannot be denied that the senti- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 193 

merits of many of the ancient fathers relative to the millenni- 
um, were very gross and absurd ; as may be seen by consult^ 
ingTurretine, "De Resurrectione Quaestio III," and Buck's 
Theological Dictionary. But this is no reason why ours 
should be so. Nor should this circumstance be considered 
as any reproach to the doctrine of the millennium itself; but 
only as an exhibition of the weakness and errors of some 
who have been its advocates. The doctrine of the millen- 
nium is now pretty generally received by Christians, and 
christi?i!n ministers, as a part of their creed. So far as there 
is adiir "^nce of opinion among them in regard to this sub- 
ject, it eems to relate to what maybe called the adjuncts of 
the doctrine, rather than to the doctrine itself. In other 
words, they do not all interpret in the same manner what is 
said in scripture, and especially by the Revelator in this chap- 
ter, respecting some of those events which are to take place 
in that glorious period. Most Christians seem to believe in 
the doctrine itself, as a fact ; but they do not all understand 
it in the same manner ; as will sufficiently appear in the fol- 
lowing remarks. All that seems necessary for the illustration 
of this subject, may be comprised in the answers to the fol- 
lowing questions, viz : — What is to be understood by the 
thousand years 1 In. what sense will Christ reign on earth, 
during these thousand years? In what sense will the saints 
live and reign with Christ, during the same period? and, 
What is here meant by the first resurrection 1 

I, What is to be understood by the thousand years ; or 
how long a period of time is thereby intended 1 The most 
prevalent opinion is, that a thousand literal or solar years 
are meant, each consisting of three hundred and sixty-five 
days. The objection to this sentin^ent, and apparently a 
very weighty one, is, that no where else in the Apocalypse is 
time reckoned in this manner. In this book various chro- 
nological terms and phrases are used ; such as " half an 
hour," (ch. viii, 1) ; " five months," (ch. ix, 5) ; and " an 
hour, and a day, and a month, and a year," (verse 15) ; 
" forty and two months," (ch. xi, 2), and " three days and 
an half," (verse 9) ; "a thousand two hundred and three- 
score days," (ch. xii, 6.) In all these instances, time is 
reckoned, not literally, but mystically; and hence arises? 

17 



id4 CRITICAL AND 



I 



strong presumptive evidence, that the "thousand years,^' 
here mentioned, are not to be understood in the literal 
sense. Some suppose, that by the " thousand years," are 
intended a thousand prophetical years ; i. e. three hundred 
and sixty-five thousand years, as ive reckon years. This 
sentiment might be supposed, indeed, to derive some support 
from the manner in which time is usually reckoned in otheTr 
parts of this book. It has analogy in its favor ; and for this 
reason I should be inclined to adopt it, were it not for the ap- 
parent absurdities which might be mentioned as attending 
such an interpretation, and in view of which our best com- 
mentators ar^i generally agreed in rejecting it. — There is still 
another opinion on this point, which is, that the phrase " thou- 
sand years," is here used indejinitehj ; or that a definite and a 
large number is here used to express an indefinite and a still 
larger one. This sentiment certainly appears plausible from 
the fact, that numbers are frequently thus used in other parts 
of scripture, as, among others, in 1 Kings xix,lS : Rev. xiv,l. 
It is also worthy of remark and remembrance, that the parti- 
cular number, "a thousand," is frequently used in scripture 
in this indefinite sense, not as denoting that precise number 
of units which we include in the term, but only as expressing 
in general, a very large number. (See Deut. xxxii, 30 : 1 
Chron. xvi, 15 : Ps. 1, 10, and xci, 7 : Isa. xxx, 17.) And, 
probably, all that is intended by these " thousand years" of 
Christ's reign on the earth, is, that a time of long dura- 
tion is yet to come, when true religion shall flourish on the 
earth, in a degree and to an extent far beyond what has ever 
yet been realised. And thus much, at least, all must be- 
lieve, who believe in the prophecies and promises of scrip- 
ture relative to this subject. These are so numerous, that 
the only difficulty in quotation lies in selecting. Most of 
them are so exjilicitj that they cannot fail of being under- 
stood by every reader of common sense, who duly attends 
to them ; and at the same time so definite, that they can^ 
properly be applied only to the " kingdom of our Lord, and 
of his Christ." I refer the reader to the following, only, as 
specimens of many others, viz : Ps. ii, 8 ; xxii, 27 ; Ixxxvi, 
9 : Isa. ii, 2, 4 ; xlv, 23 ; xlix, 6 : Dan. rii, 27 : Zech. xiv, 
9: Mai. i, 11: Rev. xi, 15. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 195 

II. In what sense will Christ reign on earth, during these 
*' thousand years ?" The language here used, viz. " they 
lived' and reigned iviih Christ a thousand years," plainly im- 
plies that Christ himself will, in some sense or other, reign 
on the earth during that period. I say on the earth, because 
(notwithstanding the opinion of some to the contrary) it is 
certain that the scene of Christ's reign here intended, is the 
earth, and not heaven, the world of glory. This appears 
from the limit which is here assigned to that reign, viz. a 
thousand years ; for in whatever way we understand this 
expression, v/hether as denoting a thousand solar years, or 
a thousand prophetical years, or in the indefinite sense, as 
signifying in general a very long time ; still, it is time, after 
all, or limited duration only, that is thereby intended. Ab- 
solute eternity, or endless duration, is never expressed in 
this manner, but by such terms as these — everlasting, eter- 
nal, for ever and ever, &c. Again, in verse 5th, these 
*• thousand years" are said to be "finished," and in verse 
7th, to be " expired," which surely cannot be said of an ab- 
solute eternity. But from numerous other passages of 
scripture we learn, that the reign of Christ in the world of 
glory, (not indeed as Mediator, but as God, and as one with 
the Father), and the reign of his redeemed people with him 
there, will be strictly eternal, and not merely for a thousand 
years. (Isa. ix, 7 : Rev. xi, 15 : Luke xviii, 30 : 1 Thess. 
iv, 17: Rev. iii, 12, and xxii, 5, &c.) From these consi- 
derations it is evident, that the reign of Christ here referred 
to, is to be a reign on this earth. The question now recurs : 
In what sense will Christ reign on the earth, during these 
*• thousand years ?" As to the general nature of his reign at 
that time, it will doubtless be spiritual only. For such it 
always has been, and always will be. (John xviii, 36 : Rom. 
xiv, 17.) But the point more directly embraced in this 
question is — Will Christ appear on earth personaUij, in the 
millennium, and will he then reign in this sense ? Some sup- 
pose he will ; and some respectable writers, too, besides 
Faber, are of this opinion. But there is no sufficient evi- 
dence of this. Those very few texts which are usually 
brought as evidence, and even that noted one in Zech. xiv, 
4j will readily admit another interpretation. On the other 



196 CRITICAL AND 

hand, there are weighty reasons against such an opinion. 
For 1st, So far as we can see, Christ's personal appearances 
on earth at that time would not be at all necessary. It will 
not be necessary for the comfort of his followers. It was 
not so formerly. When ,our Saviour told his disciples that 
he was to go his way from them, to Him that sent him, sor- 
row filled their hearts. But what did he then say to theml 
" Nevertheless, I tell you the truth : It is expedient for you 
that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not 
come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." 
(John xvi, 7.) Since, therefore, the Saviour's personal 
residence on earth was not necessary for the happiness of 
his people formerly, we may conclude it will not be so in 
the millennium. Nor will it be necessary for the general 
advancement of his kingdom. This has always been ac- 
complished, not by his personal manifestation, but by the 
efficacious operations of his Holy Spirit ; by his power and 
grace, as exercised in enlightening the minds, subduing the 
wills, and sanctifying the hearts, of the children of men. 
And these divine influences may be imparted as well, if he 
be in heaven, as if he were on earth. 2d. Several texts of 
scripture forbid the idea that Christ will be on earth, in his 
own proper person, during the millennium. The following, 
among others, deserve particular attention : — Acts iii, 21 — 
"Whom the heavens must receive, until the times of the 
restitution of all things." Until those times, therefore, or 
until the great day of final judgment, Jesus Christ is to be 
retained in the upper world : And if so, then, obviously, he 
cannot be on earth during the " thousand years," which are 
to precede that day. 1 Thess. iv, 16 — "For the Lord 
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the 
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." It is 
perfectly plain from the connection, that the period to which 
this text refers, is that of the general judgment: And we 
hence learn, that at the commencement of the great day, the 
Lord Jesus will descend from heaven to earth ; which, on 
supposition that he were already here, would be not only 
unnecessary, but impossible. Heb. ix, 28 — " So Christ 
was once offered to bear the sins of many ; and unto them 
that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 197 

sin, unto salvation." Hence we learn, that the appearing 
of Christ at the last day, will be his second appearing. His 
first appearing was in the days of his flesh : And as his final 
appearing to judge the world, and to complete the redemp- 
tion and salvation of his people, is to be his second appear- 
ing ; so, of course, his personal manifestation on earth, du- 
ring the millennium, is not to be expected. From these 
considerations it appears, that Christ will not be on earth 
personally in the millennium. He will then, indeed, reign 
on earth, and over the earth ; but it will be as formerly, by 
his spiritual influence only, while this King of saints himself 
will be on his holy hill of Zion above. But, 

HI. In what sense will the saints live and reign with Christ, 
during these thousand years 1 What does the Revelator mean, 
when he says, " They lived and reigned with Christ a thou- 
sand years 1" Whom or what does he intend by the pronoun 
they, in this case "? Now, it is evident from the preceding 
part of this same verse, that he intends thereby, in general, 
the martyrs, and such martyrs, too, as had suffered a violent 
death from the beast, in consequence of their refusing to 
worship him, and his image. Further, it is to be particular- 
ly remembered, that it is only the souls, the spirits of those 
martyrs, that are here mentioned as living and reigning with 
Christ, in the glorious days. In short, the import of the 
language here used is, that the spirit, i. e. the self-denial, 
the holy love, the zeal for God, the faithfulness of the pre- 
ceding martyrs, of those who had sealed their testimony with 
their blood, will revive and reign in the people who will live 
in those happy days ; even as the spirit, the soul of Elijah, 
revived and reigned in John the Baptist. The way is now 
prepared to show, 

IV. What is meant by the first resurrection in this place. 
The answer is, it means not a literal, but a spiritual resur- 
rection. St. John does not say that he saw the bodies, but 
that he saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the 
witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, &c.; and theyy 
those souls, lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 
And what is meant by their souls living and reigning with 
Christ, has been already explained. As men are by nature 
desid in trespasses and sins ; so the commencement and 
17* 



198 CRITICAL AND 

increase of divine life in their souls, are frequently represent- 
ed in scripture under the similitude of a resurrection. (Eph. 
ii, 5, 6, and v, 14 : Col. ii, 12, and iii, 1.) It is, therefore, 
not a literal, but a spiritual and holy resurrection— a resur- 
rection peculiar to the saints, that is here intended. Ac- 
cordingly, it is said in the next verse, " Blessed and holy is 
he that hath part in the first resurrection : On such the se- 
cond death hath no power." This passage, therefore, should 
not be considered as synonymous with 1 Thess. iv, 16 ; as 
by many it is. When Paul there says, *' The dead in Christ 
shall rise first," he means a literal resurrection, a resurrec- 
tion of the body ; as must be evident from the entire con- 
text. Accordingly, we find that in those other parts of scrip- 
ture, where the literal resurrection is mentioned, the mode 
of expression is such as to convey the idea, that in the literal 
sense, also, the saints shall rise first, ^or when the resur- 
rection of both the righteous and the wicked is mentioned, 
that of the righteous is commonly mentioned first. (See 
Dan. xii, 2: John v, 29 : Acts xxiv, 15.) Indeed, it ap- 
pears very suitable and proper, that the dead in Christ should 
in the literal sense rise first ; chiefly, because they are first. 
*' The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor." It is 
proper, therefore, that in respect to the resurrection, as well 
as in all other things, the former should have, finally, the 
visible pre-eminence over the latter. But though the pri- 
ority of the literal resurrection of the righteous to that of the 
wicked, sufficiently appears from other parts of scripture, 
and is of course a truth ; it is not the truth here intended by 
St. John. Additional evidence of this is furnished by the 
very verse in which this first resurrection is mentioned, viz : 
" The rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand 
years were finished." But surely the account we have of 
the literal resurrection in other places, (see John v, 28, 29), 
forbids the supposition that there will, or can be, such a long 
interval of time as a thousand years, (in whatever way that 
period be computed), between the literal, corporeal resur- 
rection of the righteous, and that of the wicked. — What an 
interesting subject, interesting to Christians, is that of the 
millennium ! The Lord Jesus shall then be *' king over all 
the earth." Then " shall the heathen be given to him for 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 199 

an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his 
possession." And from accurate computations relative to 
the 1260 years, in connection with the present remarkable 
aspects of Providence on the eastern continent, and in our 
own country ; from the extraordinary means now used, and 
efforts now made, to spread the light of the gospel ; also, 
from the numerous revivals of religion and reformations in 
so many parts of Christendom, within these few years past, 
it appears (certainly we may hope) that the glorious day is 
not far distant, yea, that it has already begun to dawn. And 
surely it must be the fervent wish and prayer of every true 
friend of Christ, of every well-wisher to the human race — 
" May the Lord hasten it in his time. Amen, even so, 
come, Lord Jesus." 



APPEBfDIX, 

CONTAINING CRITICAL AND EXPl^ANATORY NOTES 

ON SOME DIFFICULT PASSAGES IN 

THE OLD TESTAMENT. 



GENESIS. 

Chapter ii, Verse 17. 

~ " In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely 

die:" 

To express a sentiment intensely and forcibly, the He- 
brews adopted various kinds of phraseology. Sometimes, 
for this purpose, they used the adverb meod, signifying very 
much, exceedingly. Sometimes they used the name of 
God in connection with the object described ; as, if they 
wished to tell us that such and such mountains were very 
high, they would call them mountains of God. Sometimes 
by a repetition of the same word. Thus, to express ex- 
treme depth, they would say deep, deep. This last, indeed, 
was their most usual way ; and of this there is an instance 
in the clause before us. In the Hebrew, it is 'dying, thou 
shalt die ;' i. e. thou shalt die indeed, shalt surely, certainly 
die. The expression denotes not only the certainty, but 
the terribleness of that death, which would be the conse- 
quence and the penalty of transgression. And how many, 
and how dreadful evils have resulted from 



"Man's first disobedience, and the fruit 
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste 
Brought death into the world and all our woe, 
With loss of Eden, till one greater man 
Restore us, and regain the blissful seat," 

The death threatened to Adam, as the penalty of trans- 
gression, includes, according to Witsius, the following 
things, viz. natural death, consisting in the dissolution of 



EXPLAJ^ATORY NOTES. 201 

soul and body ; the miseries of the present life, which are 
sometimes intended in scripture by the term death, (Ex. x, 
17; 2 Cor. xi, 23) ; spiritual death, which Paul expresses 
by a being " dead in trespasses and sins;" and — eternal 
death. It should be remembered, also, that to this terrible 
death, not only Adam, but his posterity likewise, have be- 
come exposed, in consequence of his transgression ; for 
" by one man's disobedience many were made (constituted) 
sinners." (Rom. v, 19.) Well, then, might the Creator 
say to Adam, " In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt 
surely die.^^ Oh, how necessary is a Redeemer for us mis- 
erable sinners, and how precious in this view should Jesus 
Christ be to us ! How thankful should we be, that though 
" by one man's offence death reigned by one ; much more 
they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of 
righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." 

Chap, xlv, 2. 

" And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of 
Pharaoh heard." 

This, says Sir J. Chardin, "is exactly the genius of the 
people of Asia, especially of the women. Their sentiments 
of joy or of grief are properly transports ; and their trans- 
ports are ungoverned, excessive, and truly outrageous. 
When any one returns from a long journey, or dies, his fa- 
mily burst into cries that may be heard twenty doors off; 
and this is revived at different times, and continues many 
days, according to the vigor of the passion. I was lodged 
in the year 1676, at Ispahan, near the royal square. The 
mistress in the next house to mine died at that time. The 
moment she expired, all the family, to the number of twenty- 
five or thirty people, set up such a furious cry, that I was 
quite startled, and was above two hours before I could re- 
cover myself. These cries continue a long time ; then 
cease all at once ; then begin as suddenly at day-break, and 
in concert." Such, then, has been the mourning of the 
Asiatics, in both ancient and modern times. Such, also, 
has been their behavior on occasions of great joy, as well 
as of great grief, as, particularly, " when any one returns 
from a loHg journey." And this, by the way, is a lively 



2^2 CRITICAL AND 



^1 



comment on the text now before us, and accounts satisfac- 
torily for the fact therein stated, viz. " the Egyptians and 
the house of Pharaoh heard." 

Chap, xlvi, 27. 

-"All the souls of the house of Jacob, which came 

into Egypt, were threescore and ten ;" compared with Acts 
rii, 14 — ^' Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to 
him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls." 

These two texts, compared together, have created diffi- 
culty and perplexity in the minds of many readers. It ia 
acknowledged there is a discrepancy between them, so far 
as mere numbers are concerned. Stephen mentions five 
more souls or persons, as having come v/ith Jacob into 
Egypt, than Moses does. What shall we say in respect to 
this inconsistency 1 Can any satisfactory solution be given ? 
One way of solving the difficulty is by saying, that Stephen 
quoted from the Septuagint, the Greek Alexandrine version; 
as the apostles commonly did, when they brought passages 
from the Old Testament. In that version it is thus : — 
*' Uajai '\^\)XOii o'/xou 'Iaxw/3 a] 6iss\&ovgai ysra 'laxw,^ sk AU 
yv^TTov, -^ux*^-' sl35oij^Yiy.o'j'aithTS ;" i. e. "All the souls of the 
house of Jacob, which entered with Jacob into Egypt, (were) 
threescore and fifteen souls." Why there should be this 
difference between the Septuagint and our present conies 
of the Hebrew Bible, I caunot explain satisfactorily. It is 
to be presumed, however, that the Hebrew copy, from which 
the Seventy made their version, contained the passage as 
they have it. And if it be true, as an able writer has said, ■ 
viz : — " This version (the Septuagint) also preserves many 
important ivords, some sentences, and several whole verses, 
which originally made a part of the Hebrew text, but have 
long ago entirely disappeared ;" it is possible, that their 
version may, in this instance, be even more correct than our 
present Hebrew copies. But the most satisfactory solution 
oi the difficulty is that given by Dr. Hales, as quoted by 
Thomas Hartwell Home. It is in these words, viz : — "Mo- 
ses states, that ' all the souls that came with Jacob into 
Egypt, which issued from his loins, (except his sons' wives) ^ 
vere sixty-six souls ;' Gen. xlvi, 26 ; and this number k 
l^us coUected ;— 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 203 

** Jacob's children, eleven sons and one daughter, 12 
Reuben's sons, ------ 4 

Simeon's sons, ------ 6 

Levi's sons, - 3 

Judah's three sons and two grandsons, - - 5 
Issachar's sons, ----- - 4 

Zebulon's sons, 3 

Gad's sons, -------7 

Asher's four sons, one daughter, and t'vo grandsons, 7 
Dan's son, -------l 

Naphtali's sons, - 4 

Benjamin's sons, - - - - - -10 

66 
"If to these sixty-six children, grandchildren, and great- 
grandchildren, we add Jacob himself, Joseph, and his two 
sons born in Egypt, or four more, the amount is seventy, 
the whole number of Jacob's family which settled in Egypt. 
In this statement, the tuives of Jacob's sons, who formed part 
of the household, are omitted, but they amounted to nine ; 
for of the twelve wives of the twelve sons, Judah's wife was 
dead, (Gen. xxxviii, 12), and Simeon's also, as we may 
collect from his youngest son Shaul, by a Canaanitess, (xlvi, 
19) ; and Joseph's wife was already in Egypt. These nine 
wives, therefore, added to the sixty-six, gave seventy- five 
souls, the whole amount of Jacob's household, that went 
down with him to Egypt ; critically corresponding with the 
statement in the New Testament, that '< Joseph sent for 
his father Jacob, and all his kindred, amounting to seventy- 
five souls ;" — the expression, «// his Jcindred, including the 
wives, who were Joseph's kindred, not only by affinity, but 
also by consanguinity ; being probably of the families of 
Esau, Ishmael, or Keturah." Thus does the New Testa- 
ment furnish an admirable commentary on the Old. 

Chap, l, 3. 

" And forty days were fulfilled for him ; for so are fulfil- 
led the days of those who are embalmed ; and the Egyp- 
tians mourned for him threescore and ten days." 

This passage leads to the mentioning of another circura- 



204 CRITICAL AND 

stance, which distinguished the mourning of the ancients, 
especially of the ancient Egyptians. Rollin, in his ancient 
history, tells us, that when any person in an Egyptian family 
died, all the kindred and friends put on habits of mourning 
for forty or seventy days, according to the quality of the 
deceased. The dead bodies were immediately embalmed, 
and put into a kind of chest or coffin, and placed up against 
the walls in their houses, or in sepulchres, if they had any. 
These embalmed bodies were called mummies. — As the pa- 
triarch Jacob was a person of great quality and distinction 
in Egypt, not only among the Hebrews, but among the na- 
tives of that country also, they would of course, in pursuance 
of their custom, mourn for him seventy days. 



EXODUS. 

Chapter vii. Verses 8 — 11. 

" And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, say- 
ing. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a 
miracle for you ; then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy 
rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a ser- 
pent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and 
they did so as the Lord had commanded : And Aaron cast 
down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and 
it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise 
men, and the sorcerers : Now the magicians of Egypt, they 
also did in like manner with their enchantments." 

Miracles have always been considered by Christians as 
exclusively the works of Jehovah. They are contrary to, 
or rather aside from, the usual and established course of 
divine operations ; and hence it is reasonably concluded, 
that they never have been, and never will be wrought, ex- 
cept for the accomplishment of some very important pur- 
pose. No purpose can well be conceived of, as more im- 
portant, than proving the divine mission of a prophet, and 
by consequence, the divine orii';in and authority of his mes- 
sage and communications. And this Christians believe to 
have been the purpose, the object aimed at by Jehovah, in 
the miraculous operations of pasc ages. A strong objection, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 205 

however, against the sufficiency of miracles for this purpose, 
has been considered by some as arising from the exploits 
of the magicians of Egypt. It is natural to remark, that 
persons who urge this objection must believe, of course, 
that the magicians wrought real miracles ; for on no other 
ground could the objection itself have any real or apparent 
force. Their reasoning amounts to this : — ^ The magicians 
of Egypt wrought real miracles. This appears from the 
circumstance, that to the account of Moses' operations it is 
immediately added, " and the magicians of Egypt did in 
like manner, or did so, with their enchantments." These 
magicians did just as Moses had done. If, then, Moses 
performed real miracles, these magicians performed them 
also. Miracles, therefore, are not peculiar to the prophets 
of Jehovah. They are not in themselves any proof of the 
divine mission of him who performs them ; or if they are, 
they prove in this case the divine mission of these magi- 
cians, equally with that of Moses.' Such an objection has 
frequently been started by infidels and skeptics ; and as it 
is one which directly strikes at the authenticity of the holy 
scriptures generally, it becomes, for this reason, very im- 
portant to give it an examination. Did, then, these magi- 
cians work real miracles 1 On this point expositors are not 
fully agreed. But that they did not work real miracles at 
all on that occasion, appears— Because, 

1st. In the instance of the lice brought forth by Moses, 
they were compelled to acknowledge, " this is the finger of 
God." It is expressly said, " And the magicians did so 
with their enchantments, to bring forth lice, but they could 
not,^^ (Ch. viii, 18.) What is here said proves, by the way, 
that the mere expression, " the magicians did so with their 
enchantments," is not of itself any evidence that they wrought 
real miracles ; that they in fact performed the same actions 
which Moses had performed. This expression is here used 
in reference to a real miracle, which Aaron, by Moses' di- 
rection, had immediately before wrought in their presence ; 
but which, it is here said, these magicians *' could nof^ per- 
form, and which they acknowledged themselves unable to 
perform. It is plain as any thing can be, that though these 
"magicians did so (in some sense) with their enchant* 

18 



206 CRITICAL ANI> 

ments," as Aaron had done, they did not in this case do the 
thing, the deed, the miracle, which Aaron had done ; nor 
was it the design of this expression, viz. " the magicians 
did so with their enchantments," to assert that they did. 
And if this expression does not of itself prove that a real 
miracle was performed by them in this case, it is but fair to 
conclude, that it does not prove it in any of those other ca- 
ses wherein it is used. — But I return from this short digres- 
sion, to the main argument now in view. We have seen 
that in respect to the miracle of the lice, the magicians, with 
all their efforts, could not succeed. But if they had per- 
form.ed real miracles before, why could they not now ; es- 
pecially since there v/as no more difficulty in this case, than 
in the three others before mentioned 1 

2d. It should be remembered, that of the ten miracles 
performed by Moses, three only are mentioned as having 
been imitated, or (if you choose to say so) performed by the 
magicians, viz. that of the rod, that of the waters, and that 
of the frogs. In respect to the two last, the magicians 
must evidently have v/rought on a much smaller scale than 
Moses ; for when Aaron stretched out his rod over the wa- 
ters of Egypt, " all the waters that were in the river were 
turned to blood." (Ex. vii, 20.) Nay, from Jehovah's 
words to Moses, (verse 19), it seems that the waters in the 
streams, in the rivers, in the ponds, in the pools, and even 
in the vessels of wood, and vessels of stone, and that, too, 
"throughout all the land of Egypt," must have experienced 
the same transmutation, before the magicians attempted to 
imitate Moses in this miracle. What water, then, could 
they have had, on which to perfonn their operations I Sure- 
ly, the quantity of water, that remained for them to work 
upon, must have been very small ; and it has been asserted 
by naturalists, that a small quantity of water may, by the 
efforts of art merely, be made to appear red hke blood. In 
the case of i\ie. frogs, the magicians could do but little, be- 
cause Aaron had already caused them to come forth from 
the streams, from the rivers, and from the ponds ; and they 
had already covered the land of Egypt. In both these ca- 
ses, therefore, the magicians must have wrought on a very 
small scale ; and no more remained to be done by them, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 207 

than what might, probably, have been done by the help of 
magic alone. 

3d. In chapter vii, 17, it is said that the Lord told Pha- 
raoh, " In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord." This 
is spoken in reference to the miracle of turning the waters 
into blood ; and the meaning of it, on the lowest construc- 
tion, must be, that this miracle, as wrought by Moses and 
Aaron, would be in iiself b. sufficient proof of a direct, divine 
interposition ; and would be suited to reflect light upon the 
mind of Pharaoh, respecting the true character, and particu- 
larly the absolute supremacy, of Jehovah. And we may 
well suppose that such was the fact, such the divine design, 
in respect to all the miracles wrought by Moses ; especially 
since this is declared in chapter ix, 14, where Jehovah told 
Pharaoh, that his object in sending " all his plagues" was, 
that he (Pharaoh) might " know that there was none like 
Him in all the earth." But it is easily seen, that the mira- 
cles of Moses would be no proof of this, if the same miracles 
were really performed by the magicians, and through the 
help of magic alone ; for they would in that case lose all 
their peculiarity o( character, as the worhs of God, and with 
that, all their force of evidence. In view, therefore, of the 
object Jehovah aimed at, in those miracles which Moses 
performed, and which they were so well fitted to accomplish, 
viz. to shed light upon the mind of Pharaoh respecting his 
true character, we have another evidence that the magicians 
did not work real miracles. 

4th. Pharaoh himself did not believe that the magicians 
wrought real miracles. In every instance, when he wished 
divine judgments averted, he applied to Moses, and not to 
his magicians. Now, it is the dictate of reason, that the 
same power or agency which can inflict judgments, can also 
remove them ; and Pharaoh, as a rational being, must have 
known this. If, therefore, Pharaoh believed that the magi- 
cians had wrought real miracles in the one case, viz. in tn- 
jlicting those terrible judgments on him, and on his people, 
how strange it is, that he did not sometimes apply to them 
to work miracles in the other case also, viz. by removing 
those judgments. And the wonder on this subject increa- 
pes, when we consider his pecuhar pride, his contempt of the 



208 CRITICAL ANU 

God of Israel, and his attachment to his own idolatry ; prin- 
ciples which must have effectually prevented his application 
to Moses, or to Moses' God, for any thing, except in the 
very greatest extremity, and when all other resources failed. 
That Pharaoh never did apply to his magicians, to removei 
the plagues, the judgments, brought on him, and on his peo-J 
pie, we must conclude, from the total silence of scriptur^ 
on this point. And that they never had in fact any agency < 
in removing them, either alone or as co-operators with Mo- 
ses, is evident in the same manner ; for in no instance is it 
said, in reference to the removal of the plagues, that " the 
magicians did so with their enchantments." It seems, then, 
that Pharaoh did not believe that his magicians possessed 
any miraculous power. And who could have had a better 
opportunity, or more advantageous means, for forming a 
correct opinion about these men, about what they had done, 
and about what they could do, than he had 1 — But if their 
operations were not real miracles, what were they 1 Answer : 
They were mere artful imitations of the miracles of Moses ; 
produced, probably, by the help of some diabolical agency. 
The original word, translated enchantments, is derived from 
a Hebrew verb, which signifies to hide, to conceal, to in- 
wrap, to involve ; (see Parkhurst and Buxtorf ) ; and is, 
therefore, well fitted to represent those secret and myster£-» 
ous arts, those juggling and conjuring tricks, which were 
sometimes performed of old, and by which false appearances 
might be substituted for the true ; and thus the senses be 
deceived. Besides in the history relative to the magicians 
of Egypt, the word enchantments is found in the following 
passages, viz : Lev. xix, 26 : Num. xxiii, 23, and xxiv, 1 : 
2 Kings xvii, 17, and xxi, 6 : 2 Chron. xxxiii, 6 : Eccl. x, 
11 : Isa. xlvii, 9, 12. True, the corresponding Hebrew 
word in these last passages is not the same in them all, nor 
is it the same with that used in the phrase relative to the 
magicians ; but from the fact, that our translators have used 
the same English word in them all, it is evident that they 
considered those different Hebrew words as synonymous. 
Now, by attending carefully to the passages above cited, 
and to the connection in which they severally stand, it will 
be seen, that in all of them the word enchantments means 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 209 

substantially as above defined. In all of them, except one, 
it is clearly used in a bad^ a wicked sense ; and in some of 
them, as denoting an intercourse with evil spirits. Accord- 
ingly, the comment of the ancient Hebrews on the clause, 
*' The magicians did so with their enchantments," was, "Id 
opus est dcemonum ,*" i. e. that is the work of demons. (See 
Buxtorf's Lexicon.) It has been already shown, that the 
mere declaration, " the magicians did so with their enchant- 
ments," is no proof that they actually performed the workj 
the miracle, which Moses had performed ; because these 
words are used in reference to a case, in which they '^ could 
nof^ succeed in their efforts. We may well suppose, there- 
fore, that the similarity implied in this declaration, between 
the miracles of Moses and Aaron, and the operations of the 
magicians, relates not to the substance of the miracles them- 
selves, but to some circumstances attending them, in which 
there was doubtless a resemblance. Though there may be 
some difficulty attending the scheme of interpretation adopt- 
ed above, it seems, on the whole, that there is no other rea- 
sonable, no other consistent way of understanding the ope- 
rations of the magicians of Egypt, than by considering them 
as mere artful imitations o( the miracles of Moses. An ad- 
ditional circumstance in support of this interpretation is, 
that in every one of the three instances mentioned above, 
the magicians /o/Zotyed Moses in their operations, and never 
preceded him. An imitator must of course /o//oio his origi- 
nal. It is well known, moreover, that it is usually much 
easier to follow, than to lead the way, in any thing great or 
rare. 

Chap, xi, 1, 2. 

" And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak now in the ears 
of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and 
every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels 
of gold." 

It has been said by infidels, that this command could not 
have been given by Jehovah, as is here asserted, because 
the conduct which it enjoins would have been so manifestly 
deceptive, " The Israelites, (says the objector), are here 
said to have received a command from Jehovah, to borroio 
of their Egyptian neighbors certain valuable ornamentSj 
18* 



210 CRITICAL AND 



^i 



when they were on the very point of departure from Egypt, 
and when, as appears from the very face of the account, they 
had no design ever to return the loan. Now, all this is ab- 
solutely incredible. It is incredible, that Jehovah (if he be, 
as the scriptures say, " a just God and without iniquity,") 
should have required of his people the conduct here speci- 
fied, which, in the then existing circumstances, would have 
been nothing else than extortion and deception." And it 
is probable that many sincere and humble inquirers after 
truth;, have experienced difficulty in their attempts to under- 
stand this passage, in any way perfectly satisfactory to them- 
selves, on account of its apparent reflection on the divine 
character. For the two-fold purpose, therefore, of answer- 
ing the objector, and of satisfying the humble inquirer, the 
following remarks may be useful. The Hebrew word 
YisHALU, (from shaal), here translated horroiv, exactly 
means, and is commonly translated, ask, demand. Accord- 
ingly, in the Septuagint, and in the Latin Yulgate versions 
of this text, words synonymous with our word ask are used. 
In the 'former it is a/rs'w, and in the latter postido. The 
.Cleaning, therefore, of this command of Jehovah was, that 
the Israelites should ask, or demand, of their Egyptian 
neighbors, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. That it was 
reasonable and right for Him to give them such a command, 
is evident from the fact, that the silver and the gold are his, 
and he has a right to dispose of them as he pleases. Equally 
reasonable and right was it for the Israelites to ask or de- 
mand these things of the Egyptians, especially since they 
had received a divine command for this purpose, and had 
already done them so many important services, for which 
they had, as yet, received no remuneration. 

Chap, xii, 40. 

'' Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt 
ia Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years." 

So says Moses. But Stephen declares, in Acts vii, 6, 
" And God spake on this wise ; that his (Abraham's) seed 
should sojourn in a strange land ; and that they should 
bring them into bondage, and intreat them evil four hundred 
years." Stephen evidently refers to the prediction made by 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 211 

Jehovah to Abraham, in Gen. xv, 13 ; and indeed his words 
are almost an exact quotation from that passage, as may be 
seen from comparing the Greek original of the one with the 
Septaagint version of the other. The passage in Gen. xv, 
13, quoted by Stephen, is, then, a prediction of which Ex. 
xii, 40, maybe considered as recording the fulfilment. But 
the fact or event, as stated in the last mentioned place, does 
not accord to the prediction. The prediction says four hun- 
dred years ; the historical record says four hqndred and 
thirty years. How can these passages be reconciled 1 The 
first remark which naturally occurs is, that neither of these 
texts is true, in reference only to the actual residence and 
servitude of the Hebrews in Egypt. The. fact well authen- 
ticated is, that they did not live there so long as either of 
these periods. In his antiquities of the Jews, (book iv, ch. 
15), Josephus says, " They left Egypt four hundred and 
thirty years after our forefather Abraham came into Canaan ; 
but two hundred and fifteen years only after Jacob removed 
into Egypt." Nor are these periods themselves to be reck- 
oned from the time Jacob and his family went down to 
Egypt ; but from that of the calling and departure of Abra- 
ham out of Ur of the Chaldees. Between the event last 
mentioned, and the time of the Hebrews' final departure out 
of Egypt, were four hundred and thirty years ; and during 
the entire interim, they were sojourners in a strange land. 
Additional evidence in favor of this interpretation is furnish- 
ed by the Septuagint, which reads thus : — " Now the so- 
journing of the children of Israel, which they sojourned in 
the land of Canaan^ and in the land of Egypt, was four hun- 
dred and thirty years." But still the question is, how can 
the fact here asserted agree with Stephen's declaration, in 
Acts vii, 6, and with Gen. xv, 13, whence it is borrowed ; 
in both which only four hundred years are mentioned 1 The 
true solution of the difficulty is this : — The scriptures some- 
times speak in whole, or, as we often say, in round numbers, 
when those round numbers express the thing about as it is, 
and exactly enough, as it respects the main purpose for 
which the scriptures were given ; which was, not to perplex 
or amuse us with chronological niceties, but that they might 
become "profitable (to us) for doctrine, for reproof, for 



212 CRITICAL AND 






correction, for instruction in righteousness ;" so that we 
might thereby be "thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works.'^ Thus, in Num. xiv, 33, the Israelites were told, 
that in consequence of their murmurings, they should wan- 
der forty years in the wilderness ; whereas, from chapter 
xxxiii, 3, compared with Joshua iv, 19, it is evident, that 
several days at least, if not weeks, were wanting, to com- 
plete the forty years. Abimelech is said (Judges ix, 5, 56), 
to have slain threescore and ten persons, his brethren ; 
which number, as appears from verse 2d, included all the 
sons his father Jerubbaal had ; but Jotham, one of those 
sons, was not slain, he having *' hid himself" (Verse 5.) 
Nor was Abimelech himself included in the number of the 
slain ; so that two were wanting to complete the number 
seventy. (See more on this subject, in my notes on Mat. 
xii, 40.) Such was the idiom, the usus loquendi of the He- 
brew language. Nor was such a mode of speaking peculiar 
to the Hebrew ; for how often does it obtain in our own 
language, as used, too, by native Englishmen, and Ameri- 
cans. It is commonly assumed, in the conversation and 
writings of our countrymen, that Jesus Christ was born in 
the year of the world 4000 ; whereas it is commonly allow- 
ed by the best chronologists, and may perhaps be fully prov- 
ed, that he was not born until four years afterwards. In 
numerous other cases, we content ourselves with using 
round numbers. Especially is this the case, when the sub- 
ject on which we speak or write is of such a nature, that a 
strict regard to chronological exactness is not necessary. 
Happy, then, is he that condemneth not the scriptures, in 
that thing which he alloweth both in himself and in others. 

Chap, xv, 4. 

" His chosen captains, also, are drowned in the Red 

sea." 

Let none suppose that the waters of that sea, which the 
Israelites crossed on their passage from Egypt to Canaan, 
were really red, any more than those of other seas. The 
Hebrew name for it is yom suph, i. e. the sea of weeds, or 
the weedy sea. Why, then, was it called the Red sea ? 
Some suppose it was so called from Edom, whose descend- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 213 

ants possessed the land adjacent to it on the north ; for 
Edom, in Hebrew, signifies red. Others suppose it was 
so denominated from Eruthras, one of the kings of Edom, 
the word Eruthras being a Greek name, of the same import 
with Edom in the Hebrew. But, whatever might have been 
the origin or the reason of its name, it is certain, (if we may 
credit the testimony of travellers, who have been to see it), 
that its waters are not now really red, any more than those 
of other seas ; and, probably, they never were. 

Chap, xvii, 1. 

" And all the congregation of the children of Israel jour- 
neyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, ac- 
cording to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in 
Rephidim.'* 

The following remarks of Shaw, a modern traveller, M'ho 
visited that part of the country here referred to, will proba- 
bly be read with interest : — " After we had descended, with 
no small difficulty, the western side of Mount- Sinai, we come 
into the other plain that is formed by it, which is Rephidun. 
Here we still see that extraordinary antiquity, the rock of 
JWeribah, which hath continued down to this day, without 
the least injury from time or accident. It is a block of 
granite marble, about six yards square, laying tottering, as 
it were, and loose, in the middle of the valley, and seems to 
have formerly belonged to Mount-Sinai, which hangs in a 
variety of precipices all over this plain. The ivaters which 
gushed out, and the stream ivhich flowed, (Ps. Ixxviii, 20), 
have hollowed, across one corner of this rock, a channel, 
about two inches deep, and twenty wide, appearing to be 
incrusted all over, like the inside of a tea-kettle that hath 
been long in use. Besides several mossy productions, that 
are still preserved by the dew, we see all over this channel 
a great number of holes, some of them four or five inches 
deep, and one or two in diameter, the lively and demonstra- 
tive tokens of their having been formerly so many fountains. 
It likewise may be further observed, that art or chance 
could by no means be concerned in the contrivance, for eve- 
ry circumstance points out to us a miracle ; and in the same 
manner with the rent in the rock of Mount- Calvary at Jeru-^ 



214 ' CRITICAL AND 

salem, never fails to produce a religious surprise in all wha 
see it." 

Chap, xxiii, 19. 
" Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk." 
Why was this prohibition given ] Had such a barbarous 
practice ever existed among the Hebrews 1 It does not ap- 
pear that it ever had. But such was, it seems, in thos€||Ljj 
days, the practice of the surrounding heathen nations. AftenT" 
they had gathered in their fruits, they took a kid, and boiled 
it in the milk of its dam, and then, in a magical way, be- j^„ , 
sprinkled their trees, fields, gardens, and orchards ; froraj| 
the superstitious notion, that those trees, fields, &c. would ' 
thereby be made more fruitful. Now, Jehovah's direction 
to the Jews was, " Learn not the way of the heathen ;" be 
not conformed to them. And it must have been chiefly for 
the purpose of preventing such conformity, and of continu- 
ing them a "peculiar people," that this prohibition was given. 

Chap, xxv, 18, 19. 

" And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold ; of beaten 
work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy- 
seat : And make one cherub on the one end, and the other 
cherub on the other end : Even of the mercy-seat shall ye 
make the cherubims, on the two ends thereof." 

In these verses we are told, that Moses was commanded 
by God to make two cherubims (more correctly two cheru- 
bim) of beaten gold, and to place them in the two ends of 
the mercy-seat, or of the propitiatory. The word used here 
in the Septuagint, for *' mercy-seat," and used by the apos- 
tle also in the same application, (Heb. ix, 5), is iXa^r7;p/ov, 
which signifies properly the propitiatory. It is the same 
word with that used in the original of Romans iii, 25 — 
'' Whom (i. e. Christ) God hath set forth to be a propitia- 
tion," or a propitiatory sacrifice. How often has the ques- 
tion been put — What were these cherubim 1 What are we to 
understand by them ? What did they represent ? Questions 
like these have exercised the minds, and employed the pens, 
of many writers ; and after all, there is much difference of 
opinion on this subject, i. e. so far as relates to the symholi" 
£al meaning of these figures. In a general view, or as U 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 215 

regards the subject generally, the following notes, appended 
to Bishop Lowth's ninth lecture, " On the sacred poetry of 
the Hebrews," will doubtless be read with interest : — " We 
first find the cherubim guarding the way of the tree of life. 
(Gen. iii, 24.) Images of them are then placed in the sa- 
cred tabernacle, on the ark of the covenant, with their faces 
turned towards it, and their wings overshadowing the mercy- 
seat, or the throne of Jehovah, (Ex. xxv, 17 — 20 ; xxxvi, 
8, 35) ; and in the temple of Solomon there are images of 
the same sort, though more magnificently executed. (1 Kings 
vi, 23—29 : 2 Chron. iii, 7, 10—13 : Compare Ezek. xli, 
18, 19.) Hence, "JTe ivho dxvelleth hehveen the cherubim," 
came to be an honorary appellation of Jehovah. (1 Sam. iv, 
4: 2 Sam. vi, 2: Ps. viii, 2: Isa. xxxvii, 16.) In the 
Psalms and Prophets, they are introduced as the supporters 
of Jehovah's throne, or the bearers of his chariot, when he 
rides in the clouds. (Ps. xviii, 11 : Ezek. i, 10; x, 14; 
Rev. iv, 6.) Ezekiel describes four cherubim, each of them 
having four faces, namely, of a man, a bullock, a lion, and 
an eagle, (Ezek. i, 10) ; and St. John, who, according to 
his usual method, adopts the imagery of Ezekiel, and modi- 
fies it by his own prolific fancy, gives to one of his cherubim 
the face of a lion ; to another the face of a bullock ; to the 
third the face of a man ; and to the fourth that of an eagle. 
(Rev. iv, 6.) That these cherubim are intended for allego- 
rical figures, and not for real existences, seems manifest 
from the different descriptions which are given of them, in 
different parts of the sacred writings. — In condescension to 
our condition, as creatures of sense, God presented to the 
minds of the sacred writers, in prophetic vision, such images 
as are best adapted to give us some apprehension of the in- 
describable glories of the invisible world, and of the inex- 
pressible, and, to human minds, the inconceivable, majesty 
of the Godhead." Thus far the Notes. — But the question 
now more immediately before us, respects those cherubim 
which belonged to the mercy-seat, or the propitiatory, and 
were placed in the holy of holies of the tabernacle, (Ex. xxvi, 
33, 34) ; and those also which were afterwards made by 
Solomon, and placed by him in the holy of holies of the tem- 
ple. (1 Kings vi, 23, 27.) "V^Tiat did they represent? Of 



216 CRITICAL AND 

what were they the emblems, and the symbols 1 On this 
point there has been quite a diversity of opinion, as may be 
seen by consulting " Brown's Antiquities of the Jews," part 
1st, section 2d. He mentions three opinions as the ones 
" most generally received," viz : *' either that they were 
hieroglyphics of the Trinity, as they appear in the works of 
creation, providence, and redemption ; or that they repre- 
sent the character and office of the ministers of religion ; or 
are descriptive of the general history of the church ;" i. e. 
(as he afterwards explains himself), of the church itself, 
in the several periods of its history, " from the coming of 
Christ, till the end of the world." That these cherubic 
figures were emblems of something, of some other beings or 
things, is conceded by all. It seems, moreover, certain, 
that they were intended to be emblematical of something 
celestial, and not of something terrestrial ; of some beings 
in heaven, and not of some beings on the earth ; because 
an inspired apostle has decided, that the holy of holies itself 
was a type, a figure of heaven, even of the heaven where the 
peculiar "presence of God" is. (Heb. ix, 24.) If, then, 
the holy of holies itself was a type, a figure of heaven, the 
same must be true in respect to the furniture of that most 
holy place ; of which the ark of the covenant, including the 
propitiatory on the top of it, and the cherubim on each end 
of it, was an essential and the principal part. So far, then, 
the point is clear, viz. that these cherubim were emblemati- 
cal of some being, or beings, in heaven. So far we have 
scriptural evidence ; but no further, as I can discover. The 
Hutchinsonian philosophy, of which the learned Parkhurst 
was a strenuous advocate, maintains, that the cherubim in 
the holy of holies were hieroglyphics or emblems of the 
Trinity, as they appear in the works of creation, providence, 
and redemption. Parkhurst, in his Hebrew Lexicon, under 
the word kereb, (cherub), says — "Those in the holy of 
holies were emblematical of the ever-blessed Trinity, in 
covenant to redeem man, by uniting the human nature to 
the Second Person ; which union was signified by the union 
of the faces of the lion, and of the man, in the cherubic ex- 
hibition. Ezek. i, 10 : Comp. Ezek. xU, 18, 19."— Now, 
one very just and very important canon or rule, relative to 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 217 

the interpretation of scripture is this, viz : * That no one thing 
can be certainly concluded to be a type of another thing, 
unless the holy scriptures themselves declare it to be so.' 
To all reflecting persons, the great practical importance of 
this rule must be obvious at once. It is one of the most 
effectual safeguards against that rage for allegorising, and 
mystical interpretation, which has done so much injury to 
the cause of truth, and to sound biblical science, since the 
days of Origen. Men of prolific imagination, but of little 
judgment, have found types in almost every thing in the Bi- 
ble ; and their skill in this has been considered, by many, 
as an evidence of extraordinary discernment, and even of 
extraordinary spirituality, on their part. However amusing 
and gratifying such a mystical interpretation of the scriptures 
may be to some, " those who, by reason of use, have their 
senses exercised to discern" things aright, will always re- 
gard it with suspicion. And it is quite remarkable, that in 
the same proportion as sound biblical literature has advanc- 
ed, this method of interpreting scripture has usually become 
disreputable among Christians, and gone into disuse. We 
have no warrant for saying, that any one thing is a type or 
emblem of another thing, further than it was designed by the 
Holy Ghost to be so : And we have not, and cannot have 
any authentic information, that any one thing was designed 
by Him to be so, except as the Bible tells us this was the 
case. Now, to apply these remarks to the case before us. 
If the Bible tells us, either expressly, or by evident implica- 
tion, that the cherubim in the tabernacle and in the temple 
were, in fact, emblematical of the adorable Trinity in the 
Godhead, we have a right both to believe and to affirm this. 
It is safe for us to speak as the Bible speaks. We have 
scriptural authority for saying, both that the holy of holies 
itself was a type and emblem of heaven, and that the cheru- 
bim were emblems of some heavenly being or beings. But 
where in the scriptures do we find a similar warrant for say- 
ing, that these cherubim were emblematical of the Trinity? 
Far-fetched, indeed, and unsatisfactory, is the conclusion 
that they were, drawn by the Hutchinsonians from the^ace* 
of these cherubim, as described by Ezekiel, (chap, i, 10, 
and X, 14) ; and from the " material trinity of nature/* m 

19 



218 CRITICAL AND 

they call it, viz : fire, light, and air in motion. It is granted^ 
that the Father is sometimes designated by the term fire,^ 
(Heb. xii, 29) ; that the Son is repeatedly designated by^ 
the term lights (Isa. xlix, 6 : Luke ii, 32 : John viii, 12);- 
aiid that the Holy Spirit, or his influence on the minds of 
men, is sometimes illustrated by the term m'?ifl, (Johniii,8,), 
It is granted, also, that the primary import of the Greek, 
^vsCfjoa, spirit, (which is the term frequently applied to the 
third person in the Godhead), is loind, or air in motion. At 
the same time, it is remarkable, that these terms j^re, lights 
and air, (or at least two of them), are sometimes differently, 
applied, a^ it respects the Godhead. The Father is some- 
times represented under the emblem of light. (Ps. xxvii, 1 ; 
Ixxxiv, 11:1 Ep. John, i, 5.) The Holy Spirit, or his in- 
fluence, is sometimes represented by the term /re. (Isa. vi, 
6, 7 : Mat. iii, 11.) It is granted that fire, light, and air ift 
motion, may be, in some measure, represented by the faces 
of those animals mentioned in Ezekiel's vision, viz : that of 
an ox or bull, that of a lion, and that of an eagle ; or that 
there is something in the peculiar nature of those animals, 
which bears some resemblance to these material agents. 
The ox or bull, on account of his impetuosity and fury when 
provoked, may, perhaps, be likened to fire. The lion may 
be compared to the light, in respect to his shining eyes, his 
vigilance, and his strength. The eagle, in respect to his 
rapid flight, may be compared to the air in motion, and in 
action. And finally, it is granted, that there may be some 
resemblance between these three great properties or agents 
in the material world, \'iz. fire, light, and air in motion, and 
the ever-blessed Trinity in the Godhead. But, that the 
former were proper tijpes, and were designed by the Holy 
Ghost to be emblematical of the latter, we are not authoris- 
ed to affirm, because the Bible does not say that they were. 
Some suppose that the two cherubim of the ark of the cove- 
nant were emblematical of the angels of heaven. Dr. Scott 
was of this opinion, as may be seen by consulting his notes 
on Exodus XXV, 10 — 21. The clause in the first epistle of 
Peter, (ch. i, 12), viz. "which things the angels desire to 
look into," is supposed to favor this interpretation. For the 
Greek verb there used, and rendered " to look into," signi* 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 219 

lies " to Stoop down, or forward, in order to look at some* 
tiling ;" a posture, which is thought to have been fitly repre- 
sented by that of the cherubim over the mercy-seat. But 
why do we attempt to be wise above what is written 1 Why 
should we affirm positively such things about the invisible 
iand celestial world, as are nowhere revealed? (See my 
notes on Colos. ii, 18.) It seems, all we can know about 
these cherubim is, that they were emblematical of some be- 
ings in heaven, of some " living creatures" there, (Ezek. i, 
5, compared with Rev. iv, 6, 7) ; but of ivhat living crea- 
tures we do not certainly know, and cannot know in this 
world. 



NUMBERS. 

Chapter iv, Yerses 1 — 3. 

^' And the Lord spaka unto Moses and unto Aaron, say- 
ing, Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the 
sons of Levi ; from thirty years old and upward, even until 
fifty years ; all that enter into the host, to do w^ork in the ta- 
bernacle of the congregation." 

So we here read. But in chapter viii, 23, 24, it is said, 
*' And the Lord spake unto Closes, saying. This is it that 
belongeth imto the Levites ; irom tiventy and Jive years old 
and upward, they shall go in to wait upon the service of the 
tabernacle of the congregaticn." The apparent contradic- 
tion between these passages may be obviated as follows : — 
At the age of hvenhj-Jive, the Levites entered on their novi- 
tiate, or probationary term, which lasted five years ; and 
then, or at the age of thirty'yeaYS, they were invested fully 
with their appropriate office. Such, accordingly, is the so- 
lution of this matter, adopted by Maimonides, a noted Jew- 
ish writer ; by Witsius, Scott, and the best commentatOfS 
generally ; and is, undoubtedly, the true one. 

Chap, xxii, 20 — 22. 

" And God came unto Bal:»am by night, and said unto 

him, if the men come to call tbee, rise up, and go with them; 

but yet the word that I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou 

do. And Balaam rose up in the moriiing, and saddled his 



220 CRITICAL AND 

ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger 
was kindled, because he went ; and the angel of the Lord 
stood in the way, for an adversary against him." 

These verses, taken in connection, present a difficulty. 
They embrace three particulars. The first is, the permis- 
sion granted by God to Balaam, on a certain condition, to 
go with the princes of Moab. The second is, Balaam's 
actually going, in consequence of that permission. The 
third is, the Lord's being angry with Balaam, ^^because he 
VJenV^ But why should, or rather how could the Lord be 
angry with Balaam, for doing that which he had expressly 
allowed him to do 1 Answer — 

1st. The divine permission granted to Balaam on this 
occasion, is not to be understood as implying that God ap- 
proved of the conduct of Balaam here specified. On the 
contrary, though God permitted Balaam to go, he did not 
approve of his going for the purpose Balak had in view in 
sending for him, viz. that of cursing Israel. This appears 
from the fact, that God had already expressly forbidden 
Balaam to go for that purpose. " And God said unto Ba- 
laam, Thou shalt not go with them ; thou shalt not curse the 
people; for they are blessed." (Yerse 12.) God saw fit, 
on the whole, to permit Balaam to go ; but it was with the 
view that his oiun purpose respecting Israel, and not Balak's, 
might be thereby accomplished, viz : that Balaam might 
bless the people, instead of cursing them ; might pronounce 
a prophetical benediction upon them ; might be constrained 
by a divine influence so to do ; however reluctant he was, 
on his own part to do it. Balak meant it unto evil ; but 
God meant it unto good. God has permitted innumerable 
things, of which, in themselves considered, he never has ap- 
proved, and never will approve. He "suffered (or permit- 
ted) all nations to walk in their own ways," (Acts xiv, 16) ; 
but he did not approve of those ways. If the divine permis- 
sion, in Balaam's case, must be understood as implying the 
divine approbation of his going with the princes of Moab, 
for the purpose which Balak had in view ; then, surely, it 
would be not only difficult, but impossible, to account for 
the Lord's being angry with him, because he went. But it 
is not to be so understood. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 221 

^d. Balaam appears hot to have complied with the condi' 
lion, on which his going with the princes of Balak had been 
permitted. That condition was, the men's coming to catl 
him. But it seems Balaam did not wait for their call ; but 
rose up in the morning, and immediately went off with the 
princes of Moab. It is probable, that he called on them in 
the morning, instead of waiting for their calling on him. 
But, 

3d. The motive with which Balaam went, was the thing 
which principally constituted his guilt, and provoked the 
anger of Jehovah. He went " for filthy lucre's sake." 
Notwithstanding all Balaam's apparent conscientiousness, 
in asking counsel of God, in respect to the affair of going 
with the princes of Moab, he appears to have been all the 
time bent on going ; and that, not so much for the purpose 
of injuring Israel, or gratifying Balak, as for the purpose of 
obtaining the reward. Hence the apostle Peter, speaking 
of certain profligate characters, says, /'Which have forsaken 
the right way, and gone astray, following the way of Ba- 
laam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteous' 
ness.^^ And hence the apostle Jude, speaking of similar 
persons, says, *' Woe unto them ! for they have gone in the 
way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam, for 
reiuardy 

Chap, xxv, 9. 

'• And those that died in the plague, were twenty and four 
thousand." 

But in 1 Cor. x, 8, it is said, " Neither let us commit 
fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day 
three and twenty thousand." On these two passages, (be- 
tween which there is certainly some inconsistency, as it re- 
spects numbers), it may be remarked, that they do not both 
relate exactly to one and the same event ; and that the for- 
mer is more extensive in its reference and import than the 
latter. From the very face of the latter, as compared witH 
Num. xxv, 1, we learn for what cause these twenty- three 
thousand fell or died, viz. for their sin with the daughters of 
Moab. But beside these, many others perished for another 
reason, viz. idolatry, and were slain witlji the sword about 
the same time. *' The people did eat, and bowed down to 
19* 



222 CRITICAL AND 

their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor ; and 
the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And Mo- 
ses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his 
men that were joined unto Baal-peor." (Verses 2, 3, 5.) 
The number of those found guilty of idolatry cannot well be 
supposed less than one thousand ; and Moses seems to have 
referred to the ivhole number of those, who, at or about that 
time, suffered death from the avenging hand of God. In 
this view, then, we need not suppose any real inconsistency 
between the declarations of Moses and Paul, relative to this 
subject. V 

DEUTERONOMY. 

Chapter vii, Yerse 22. 

^' The Lord thy God will put out these nations, by little 
and little ° Thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the 
beasts of the field increase upon thee." , 

See in connection with this, Ezek. xxxiv, 25 — *' I \yili 
cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land." For the 
illustration of these texts, the following observations of 
Haynes, the traveller, as cited by Harmer, may be useful. 
In giving an account of his arrival in Cana of Galilee, and 
of the state of that country, he says, '< The surrounding 
country swarms with wild beasts, such as tigers, leopards, 
jackals, &c. whose cries and bowlings, I doubt not, as it 
did me, would strike the boldest traveller, who had not been 
frequently in a like situation, with the deepest sense of hor- 
ror." Also, while visiting Mount-Tabor, and creeping into 
the holes and subterraneous caverns there, he was told by 
his guide, he must be more cautious how he ventured ; for 
he could " assure him, those holes and caverns were fre- 
quently resorted to by tigers, in the day time, to shelter them 
rom the sun ; and therefore he might pay dear for gratifying 
his curiosity." 

Chap, xx, 16, 17. 

'' But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy 
GoD doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive 
nothing that breatheth. But thou shalt utterly destroy 
thorn ; Btamely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaan- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES, 223 

ites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as 
the Lord thy God hath commanded thee." 

A direction of the same import occurs in chapter vii, 1, 2, 
where the Girgashites are mentioned, in addition to the six 
nations here enumerated. It occurs in several other places 
also. Infidels have sometimes insisted on such passages, 
as being, in their yiev/, a weighty objection against the divine 
inspiration of thos i books in which they are contained. The 
ground of the objection is, that they reflect upon the charac- 
ter of God, which, in their opinion, is such, that it is morally 
impossible he should ever have commanded or approved of 
the conduct here specified. They suppose it would be in- 
consistent wiih his goodness, for him so to do. They think 
it would be inconsistent with the impartiality of his good- 
ness, for him to require some of his creatures to treat others 
of the same species with themselves, in the manner here 
mentioned. Such treatment they consider as inhuman and 
cruel, and as >yhat, therefore, could not have been enjoined 
by the God of lovs. But it is not for their sake only, that 
such passages are here roticed. It is well knov/n, that, in 
view of them, others beside infidels have experienced serious 
difficulties, and difficulties, too, somewhat of the same na- 
ture. These difficulties have not, indeed, led to the same 
result in the latter case, as they have in the former ; i. e. to 
the conclusion that Moses was not divinely inspired, and 
that such commands never came from God. They believe 
that these commands are the commands of God ; and it is 
on this very account, in a great measure, that they feel the 
difSculty. For their sake, a few remarks will be made on 
this subject, with the hope, that, by the divine blessing, they 
may serve to remove " the stumbling-block out of the way 
of God's people." (Isa. Ivii, 14*) 

1st. From the history given us of the Canaanites, it is 
evident that they had become extremely wicked. They were 
so in Abraham's time, though their " iniquity was not then 
full." (Gen. XY; 16.) We have a particular account of some 
of their enormities in the eighteenth and twentieth chapters 
of Leviticus, and in other places ; whence it appears, that 
they gave of their seed unto Molech, and caused their child- 
ren to be burnt in the fire to their gods ; that they were guilty 



324 CRITICAL ANto 

of the most abominable lewdness, living in the indulgence 
and open practice of fornication, incest, and the sin of So- 
dom ; and that they even defiled themselves with the beasts 
of the field. For after these vices had been particularly 
mentioned, and the commission of them had been expressly 
forbidden to the Israelites, it is said, " In all these the na- 
tions are defiled, which I cast out before you." (Chap, xviii, 
24.) Also, in chapter xx, 23, it is said, "For they (i.e. 
those nations) committed all these things ; and therefore I 
abhorred them." Such v/ere their abominations, that even 
the very land was defiled by them, and it spewed them out, 
(Lev. xviii, 28), as the stomach disgorges from it what is 
most sickening and oflfensive. At the same time, they were 
the grossest idolaters. (Deut. xxix, 17.) It is evident, 
therefore, that they had become, in all respects, extremely 
wicked. Hence, 

2d. They deserved destruction. If they were so enor- 
mously wicked, as from the scriptural representations they 
were, then, certainly, they deserved punishment to some 
extent, and of some sort or other. And if the moral turpi- 
tude of those sins which have just been mentioned, and of 
which they were guilty, be estimated, as undoubtedly it ought 
to be, by the scriptural standard ; it is not going too far to 
say, and we have a right to conclude, ' that they deserved 
destruction for those sins, and not only temporal, but eternal 
destruction also. , Nor can such a conclusion be invalidated 
by the plea, that those Canaanites were heathens, who had 
no other light to guide them but the light of nature ; for the 
light of nature taught them better, and left them inexcusable, 
as the apostle Paul shows in the first chapter of his epistle 
to the Romans ; where, speaking of those heathens who 
were guilty of the same sins that have just been specified, 
he declares, that they are '* without excuse," and that '^ they 
which commit such things are worthy of death." 

3d. God, being a sovereign, had a perfect right to deter- 
mine in respect to the punishment in this case ; in what 
mode, to what extent, and by what instruments, it should be 
inflicted. None can reasonably question this. He might, 
if he pleased, have destroyed them by his own immediate 
agency ; aiid in this way vast numbers of them were in fact 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 225 

destroyed, as we see in the case of the Amorites particularly. 
'* And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and 
were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast 
down great stones from heaven upon them, unto Azekah, 
and they died : They were more which died with hdl-stones, 
than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword." 
(Joshua X, 11.) He might have caused the eadh to open, 
and swallow them up, as it did Korah and his company. 
He might have destroyed them by lightning, pestilence, fa- 
mine, or the sivord of war , as he saw good. And if the lat- 
ter were to be the means used for this purpose, he had a 
perfect right to determine by what class of ^fm the sword 
should be used. He might have made these seven nations 
of Canaan the means and instruments of destroying one 
another ; or he might have sent the surrounding nations, or 
the Israelites, against them, for this purpose, just as he saw 
good. 

4th. Absolute as the command given to the Hebrews, to 
destroy the Canaanites, appears to be, it must, it seemSj 
have been understood with some limitation, both by Moses 
and by the Hebrews. By JWoses ; for in Dent, xx, 10, 11, 
12, he says, or rather God saith by him, " When thou com- 
est nigh unto a city, to fight against it, then proclaim peace 
unto it : And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace,, 
and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that 
is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall 
serve thee : And if it will make no peace with thee, but will 
inake war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it," &c.. 
Does not this imply, that the utter destruction of the Canaan- 
ites was to be conditional only ; that in case they should 
submit, and make peace with the Hebrews, on such terms 
as should be proposed to them, their lives should be spared? 
And does it not imply that they were to be compielely des- 
troyed, only in case of obstinacy and resistance on their 
part 1 — By the Hebrews, also, this command appears to have 
been understood v/ith some limitation. One would think 
so from their practice ; for they did not in fact destroy all 
that people. Several exceptions are mentioned. Rahab 
was spared, and her kindred, "And Joshua saved Rahab 
the harlot alive, and her fatber^s household, and all that sh© 



226 CRITICAL AND 

had ; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day ; because 
she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jeri- 
cho." (Joshua vi, 25.) The reason why she and her fath- 
er's household were preserved, is here said to be, " because 
she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent." And that this 
was a reason sufficient to justify them in the divine mind,' 
for saving these persons alive, is presumable from the cir- 
cumstance, that Joshua and the Hebrews are no where bla- 
med for the clemency which they exercised in this case. 
But how can we account for this, on the ground that the 
command ii|^uestion was perfectly absolute, admitting no 
limitation in al?/ case 1 If it had been thus absolute, neither 
the reason here mentioned, nor any reason whatever, could 
have justified them in saving these persons alive. The 
Gibeonites, also, were spared. " And Joshua made peace 
with them, and made a league with them, to let them live ; 
and the princes of the congregation sware unto them." 
(Josh, ix, 15.) Some peculiar circumstances, it is true, 
attended this case. Joshua was deceived by that people. 
From the very plausible account they gave of themselves, 
he really supposed that they came " from a very far coun- 
try," and that they were no part of any of the seven nations 
of Canaan. But he soon discovered his mistake. And why 
did he not then destroy them, if he had understood the divine 
command as absolute in the sense above mentioned? The 
answer doubtless will be, because he had made a solemn 
league and covenant with them. But would such a cove- 
nant as that was, a covenant made under circumstances of 
deception, have been considered by. Joshua, as imposing 
stronger obligations than an express command of Jehovah"? 
Can we suppose, in short, that Joshua would have spared 
the Gibeonites, if he had understood the command in ques- 
tion in so absolute a sense, that it would admit of no limita- 
tion in any case whatever ? Other exceptions are mentioned. 
(Judges i, 25 ; 1 Kings ix, 20, 21.) It maybe added, also, 
that the very reason annexed to the command to destroy the 
seven nations of Canaan, implies that the command itself 
was conditional, and that it was to be understood with some 
qualification. This reason is said to be, " that they teach 
you not to do after all their abominations.^^ (Deut. xx, 18.) 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 227 

Now, if they had in fact repented of and forsaken all their 
abominations, and turned to the God of Israel with all their 
heart, the reason here stated would not, of course, have ex- 
isted in their case. 

5th. Palestine, the country inhabited by these seven na- 
tions, might be lawfully claimed by the Hebrews, the seed of 
Abraham, as their own country ; for it had become such by 
the most authentic conveyance imaginable, by the grant of 
Jehovah himself. (See Gen. xiii, 15, 17; xvii, 8 ; xxvi, 3 ; 
xxviii, 13, 15.) In that conveyance it was expressly stated, 
that the land was to be theirs "/or ever^ for an everlasting 
possession ;" which terms must here be understood in the 
same sense in which they are when applied to the peculiar 
laws and ceremonies of the Hebrews or Jews ; i. e. as de- 
noting a duration co-extensive with that of the Jewish polity. 
It is no objection to this interpretation of the terms, that the 
Hebrews did not in fact dwell in and occupy that land during 
all the intermediate time. The grant made by Jehovah to 
Abraham, and afterwards renewed to Isaac and Jacob, gave 
to the Hebrews a right and title to that land, daring the 
whole period intended by the terms " for ever, everlasting ;" 
so that it became theirs of right, whether they should actu- 
ally dwell in and occupy it during the entire interim, or not. 
This grant or gift of Palestine to the Hebrews, was express- 
ly recognised in the subsequent periods of their history. It 
was so in the commission which Jehovah gave to Moses, 
when he sent him in unto Pharaoh, to demand the liberation 
of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. (Ex. iii, 
8, 10.) It was so repeatedly, in the speech which Moses 
made to that people, and which is recorded in the book of 
Deuteronomy. (Chap, iv, 1 ; vi, 18 ; viii, 1 ; ix, 5, 23 ; x, 
11 ; xi, 31.) And, when they were on the point of passing 
over Jordan, to take possession of that land, the same thing 
was solemnly declared to them again by Joshua, for their 
encouragement. (Joshua i, 11.) And besides, so far as 
occupancy could give a right, they might claim a right of that 
kind also ; for that country had been previously occupied 
by the patriarchs and their descendants. Nor does it ap- 
pear, that they had ever relinquished that right. It may be 
said, however, that all this would not justify them in treating 



!^28 CRITICAL AND 

the inhabitants of that land as they did. The answer is, if 
they had such a rig it and title to that land, as it has been 
shown they had, th m they might assert that right ; and by 
^uch means, aad in such a way too, as should bs found ne- 
cessary at the timf^. If they should be resisted and opposed, 
as we know they weiQ, by formidable combinations, they had 
a right (according to the then acknowledged laws of war) 
to oppose force to f >rce, and, in short, to make use of such 
means as the exigency of the case should require. After 
all, if any difficulty should still remain, let it be remember- 
ed, it is nothing peculiar to this case. For, 

6th. This is not the only instance in which the Lord has 
come out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth 
for their iniquities. (Isa. xxvi, 20.) The judgments he in- 
flicted on the nations of Canaan, were not more severe than 
what he has brought on others of mankind. Witness the 
destruction of Sodom and G omorrah ; that of Jerusalem 
and of the Jews, by the Romans ; and especially that of the 
whole world, (one family only excepted), by the flood. 
" The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth." 
(Ps. ix, 16.) And his conduct in all this will, doubtless, 
be sufficiently vindicated '* in the day of the revelation of his 
righteous judgment." (Rom. ii, 5.) 

Chap, xxxii, 36. 

" For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself 
for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and 
there is none shut up, or left." 

The phrase, " shut up," seems here to mean a being se- 
cured in a place of secrecy, or in one of safety, as in some 
impregnable fortress. Such was a frequent fact among the 
ancient orientals, especially when there were two rival prin- 
ces or principalities, of which the one sought to exterminate 
and destroy the other. In that case, the party persecuted, 
and whose life was in danger, would either get into some 
place of secrecy, or inclose himself in some strong fortress, 
or sometimes flee into some foreign country for safety. 
Thus, when Athaliah attempted to destroy all the seed royal, 
(2 Kings xi, 1), Joash, the only living child of the late king, 
was kept for years shut up in a private apartment of the tem- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 229 

pie, in order thai his life might be preserved, so that he 
might in due time succeed to the crown. So Hadad fled 
into Egypt, and was there in a sense shut up, or secured 
from Solomon. (See 1 Kings xi, 14.) Jeroboam did so 
too, (verse 40), and for the same reason, viz. that he might 
be there secured against injury from Solomon, until the time 
should come, when, according to the prediction of the proph- 
et Ahijah, he should possess the kingdom. The meaning, 
then, of the texts now under consideration seems to be this ; 
that Jehovah would judge, avenge the cause of his people, 
and deliver them, when he should perceive that their own 
power so to do was gone, and that there was none 5^«^ up 
and left ; that is, none reserved in some place of safety, to 
be their future deliverer. Man's extremity is God's oppor- 
tunity. 

JOSHUA. 

Chapter ix, Verse 23. 

" Now, therefore, ye are cursed ; and there shall none of 
you be freed from being hewers of wood and drawers of 
water, for the house of my God." 

To understand the full import and spirit of this maledic- 
tion, it should be remembered, that among the ancients it 
was usual to impose the labors and burdens here specified, 
on the women, as it still is among barbarous and savage na- 
tions. See, in proof. Gen. xxiv, 11 — "And he made his 
camels to kneel down without the city, by a well of water, 
at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out 
to draw ivater,^' 1 Sam. ix, 11 — "And as they went up 
the hill to the city, they found young maidens going to draw 
water, and they said unto them. Is the seer here ?" See, al- 
so, John iv, 7. And as the customs of the eastern people 
seldom vary from generation to generation, we find this 
same custom still prevalent among them. Dr. Shaw men- 
tions the going out of the women to draw water, as being 
still a custom among the Arabs in Barbary. Hence we see 
the full measure of the punishment inflicted by Joshua on 
the Gibeonites. It consisted not only in the drudgery ex- 
pressed by "hewing wood and drawing water," but also in 

20 




230 CRITICAL AND 

the humiliation attached to it; such being the service usu^ 
\y imposed in those countries on, and performed by, the 
women. And when it is considered in what a degraded state 
their females generally, and especially the menial and labo- 
rious part of them, were, (so different from what it is in our 
country, and wherever else Christianity prevails), that hu- 
miliation itself must have appeared to the Gibeonites as a 
severe, perhaps the most severe, part of their punishment. 



JUDGES. 

Chapter xi. Verses 30, 31. 

" And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, 
thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into 
mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of 
the do( ?s of my house to meet me, when I return in peace 
from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and 
I will offer it up for a burnt-offering." 

The subsequent verses of this chapter are, probably, fa- 
miliar to most readers. Such of them as have any concern 
with Jephthah's vow, will be considered in their proper 
place. The facts were these. The Ammonites invaded the 
land and people of Israel. Jephthah sent messengers unto 
their king, to know the reason of this measure, and at the 
same time, to dissuade him from proceeding further in hos- 
tilities. " Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon 
hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah." When Jeph- 
thah perceived that war with the Ammonites was inevitable, 
he made the requisite preparations for it ; but before engag- 
ing therein, uttered the vow which has just been mentioned. 
On his return to Mizpeh, behold ! the object that first met 
him, was his lorely daughter, an only child ! On seeing her, 
the father v/as much agitated, and " rent his clothes, and 
said, Alas, my daughter ! thou hast brought me very low, 
and thou art one of them that trouble me ; for I have open- 
ed my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back." His 
daughter, understanding such language as importing that her 
father had made a solemn vow unto the Lord, and conclud- 
ing, also, from his pathetic exclamation, that his vow had i 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 231 

some important reference to her, surrenders herself to his 
disposal, with only this request, viz. that sho, with her female 
companions, might go up and down upon the mountains, 
for two months, to bewail her virginity. " And it came to 
pass, at the end of two months, that she returned unto her 
father, who did with her according to his vow, which he had 
vowed ; and she knew no man." Now, all on this subject 
which needs any illustration, may be embraced in this sin- 
gle inquiry, viz : Did Jephthah actually sacrifice his daugh- 
ter, i. e. put her to death, or not ? It must be acknowledged, 
that the whole story, taken together, as it stands in our ver- 
sion, would naturally lead the mere English reader to con- 
clude that he did ; and such, accordingly, appears to be in 
fact the general conclusion. But to the justness of this 
conclusion there are weighty objections. Consider, 

1st. The character of Jephthah. He was a native Jew, 
and had from his childhood been brought up in the Jewish 
religion, of which one prominent characteristic was an abso- 
lute prohibition of the sacrifice of children. (See Lev. xx, 
2, 3 : Deut. xii, 31 ; and xviii, 10.) If it should be said, that 
though these texts forbade the Jews to sacrifice their child- 
ren to Molech, they did not forbid them to sacrifice their 
children to Jehovah; such an objection would be of no 
weight. There was a special reason why the sacrificing of 
children should be particularly mentioned, in prohibitions of 
this nature ; and that was, the constant proneness of the 
Jews to imitate the surrounding heathen in their idolatry, 
and other evil practices, and the great danger they were in 
from this source. The whole tenor of the Jewish law is 
against sacrifices of this kind, as all commentators allow. 
Indeed, in one of the texts cited above, (Deut xii, 31), it is 
expressly said, '^ Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy 
God; for even their sons and their daughters they have 
burnt in the fire to their gods ;" i. e. * Thou shalt not serve 
the Lord thy God, by sacrificing your children to him, as 
they have served their gods, by sacrificing their children to 
them.^ The Jews themselves must be supposed to be, in 
general, best acquainted with the meaning of their own law. 
But in the Misna, or traditional law of the Jews, and which 
contmns their explanatioaa of it, are found these words,. 



232 CRITICAL AND 

(verse 212), viz : " If a Jew should devote (to destruction) 
his son or daughter, his man or maid servant, who are He» 
brews, the devotement would be void ; because no man can 
devote what is not his own, or whose life he has not the ab- 
solute disposal of." It should, also, be remembered, that 
Jephthah not only was 0/ Israel, but belonged to the true. Is- 
rael ; for he is expressly mentioned (Heb. xi, 32) as one of 
those pre-eminent for faith, '' of whom the world was not wor- 
thy." In view, then, of Jephthah's origin, of his certain 'piety, 
and of his acquaintance with the prohibitions of Judaism, it 
seems incredible that he should ever have seriously thought 
of sacrificing his daughter. Even if his vow had originally 
contemplated this ; if, as made and intended by him at the 
time, it was nothing less, and nothingelse, than a solemn prOf 
mise made to God, actually to put to death, in the way of sa- 
crifice to him, whatsoever should come forth of the doors of 
his house, to meet him on his return ; still, for the reasons a- 
bove mentioned, we cannot suppose, that when he came to see 
what the object ivaSy that did thus meet him, he should have 
considered himself as bound one moment by such an obliga- 
tion. He must have had knowledge, and judgment, and pie- 
ty enough, to perceive that the vow he had made was a rash 
vow, and that he had no right at first to make a vow of this 
sort, without some qualifications and limitations ; but that 
now, since he had made it, his sin consisted in the making of 
the vow only ; not in the non-execution of it. When, there- 
fore, we consider Jephthah's c^-«rac!fer, in connection with his 
strong parental feelings towards his daughter, his only childj 
it seems incredible that he could have put her to death. 

2d. Provision was made in the Jewish law, for the re- 
demption of persons or things vowed unto the Lord. Only 
two sorts of vows are mentioned in the Old Testament. 
The Hebrew names of these are cherem and neder ; in 
the one or other of which all the vows made by the Jews 
may be comprehended. The cherem was the most solemn 
of all the vows which were made by them, being accompa- 
nied with an execration. It answers to the anathema, as 
used in the Septuagint. The person or thing thus vowed un- 
to the Lord, was said to be " devoted unto the Lord," and 
could not be redeemed. (See Lev, xxvii, 28.) This sort 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 233 

of VOW respected either persons or things. When it respect- 
ed ^persons, or, indeed, animals of any kind, it implied that 
they were devoted to destruction; but when it respected 
things, i. e. inanimate things, it implied that they were to be 
utterly consumed by fire, or to be dedicated to the Lord, for 
religious purposes. An example of this two-fold import of 
the CHEREM, we have in Joshua vi, 17 — 19, 21 — 24. It is 
said, (verse 17), "And the city shall be accursed, (Heb. 
cherem), even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord ; on- 
ly Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her 
in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent." 
What is meant by the cherem, in this place, is explained 
by the exception here mentioned, viz. that in favor of Rahab, 
and *' all that were with her in the house." They only wer6 
to live ; which implies, that all the rest of the persons in the 
city were to be destroyed. And that the Israelites under- 
stood the cherem in the same sense, so far as respected 
not only the persons, but other animals in the city, is evi- 
dent from the manner in which they treated them ; for ''they 
utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and wo- 
man, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the 
edge of the sword." (Verse 21.) What is meant by the 
CHEREM here, as it respects inanimate things, is explained 
in verse 19, viz : " But all the silver and gold, and vessels 
of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord ; they shall 
come into the treasury of the Lord^ But in no case could 
the object of the cherem, whether it were persons or things, 
be properly redeemed from the use, condition, or destiny, 
to which they had been devoted. It ought, however, to be 
observed, that even in case of the cherem, the vow could 
not be really vahd and obligatory, if it were contrary to any 
part of the divine law ; for the obvious reason, that the law 
of God is the paramount and supreme rule of duty, and no 
person has any right to execute, or even to make, any vow, 
or to assume any obligation, which contravenes that rule. 
But the neder, or more common vow, was, (says Thom- 
as Hartwell Home), "when a person engaged to do any 
thing, as, for instance, to bring an offering to G on ; or oth- 
erwise to dedicate any thing unto him." The objects of this 
sort of vow, or the things vowed in this way, were various, 
20* 



334 CRITICAL AND 

as, e. g. beasts, whether clean or unclean, lands, the tithes of 
lands, houses, and the person of the vower himself; of all 
which we have an account in Lev. xx\-iith chapter. All these 
thiius, with the exception only of clean beasts used for of- 
ferings, might be redeemed, at the rate and on the conditions 
specified in that chapter, although they had been vowed unto 
the Lord. Now the question is, which of these two sorts of 
vows was it that Jephthah made 1 The question is impor- 
tant, and particularly in respect to its bearing on the point 
now immediately before us, viz. that of redeeming his vow. 
The best way to understand v/hat the scripture really means, 
is to attend to what it sayi. i. e. to the words, and phrases, 
and expressions ; or, in a word, to the language tiierein 
used, and to interpret it according to the iisus loquendi of 
tlis Hebrews. Now, in the account we have of Jephthah's 
vow, it is the nedek. only, or common vow, that is mention- 
ed. This is the word used in the Hebrew, and. not cherem, 
as in Lev. xxvii, 2S, 29, and of which it is there said, that it 
shall not be redeemed. Nor is there any intimation given in 
the account we have of Jephthah's vow, that it was accom- 
panied with the CHEEEM, unless it be in the expression, ''and 
I will offer it up for a burnt-offering ;" concerning which more 
will be said afterwards. It should be further observed, that 
the persons expressly mentioned in the Old Testament, as 
anathematised, execrated, and devoted to destruction, were 
always heathens, aliens, and enemies to God, as the Amalek- 
ites, and Canaanites, and the inhabitants of Jericho, in par- 
ticular. (See Judges i, 17: Num. xxi, 1 — 3.) On the 
whole, therefore, there is abundant evidence that Jephthah's 
vow was not of that sort which'precluded the possibility of 
redemption. Not only might he have redeemed his daugh- 
ter, even if by a rash vow he had devoted her to death ; but 
he might have redeemed her for a small sum too—only thirty 
pieces of silrer ; for that was the estimation for a female. 
(See Lev. xxvii, 4.) And who can doubt, whether he would 
HOt cheerfully have paid this sum, rather than have sacrificed 
his daughter? 

3d. Jephthah is no where in any other part of scripture 
blamed for his treatment of his daughter ; a fact which seems 
utterly unaccountable, on the supposition that he put her to 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 235 

death, since others are blamed for a sin of this nature. Ahaz 
is blamed for *' having made his son pass through the fire, 
according to the abomination of the heathen, whom the 
Lord cast out from before the children of Israel." (2 Kings 
xvi, 3.) For a similar practice, the inhabitants of Jerusa- 
lem are also blamed. (Jer. xix, 5.) But Jephthah is no 
where in scripture blamed for sacrificing his daughter ; 
which appears to be a strong presumptive evidence that he 
never did so. — But after all that has been said, it may still 
be asked, do not the luorcZs of Jephthah's vow themselves, 
in connection with the account we have of his executing his 
vow, show that he actually sacrificed his daughter 1 And 
how can we consistently understand them in any other sense? 
Let us attend, then, more particularly to the voiv itself. This, 
as it stands in our English Bible, is as follows : — *' And 
iTephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said. If thou 
shait without fait deliver the children of Ammon into my 
hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the 
doors of my house, to meet me, when I return in peace from 
the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I 
will offer it up for a burnt-offering." Now, the important 
remark I would make in this place is, that the Hebrew ad- 
mits of a translation in two other ivaijs. It may be transla- 
ted thus ; — " Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth 
of the doors of my house, to meet me, shall surely be the 
Lord's ; or I will offer it up for a burnt-offering." ' The 
Hebrew particle vau frequently means or ; and frequently 
is it so rendered by our translators. In proof of this remark, 
I refer to the following passages, as specimens only of many 
others that might be adduced, viz. Gen. xli, 44 : "And Pha- 
raoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall 
no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." 
Ex. xiij 6 — " Ye shall take it (i. e. the lamb) out from the 
sheep, or from the goats." Ex. xxi, 15 — "And he that 
smiteth his father or his mother, shall be surely put to death." 
Verse 17 — " And he that curseth his father or his mother, 
shall be surely put to death." Num. xxii, 26 — "And the 
angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, 
where was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the 
left." Deut. iii, 24 — " For what God is there in heavcQ or 



236 CRITICAL AND 

in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according 
to thy might." 2 Sam. iii, 29 — '' Let it rest on the head of 
Joab, and on all his father's house ; and let there not fail 
from the house of Joab, one that hath an issue, or that is a 
leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, 
or that lacketh bread." In all these passages, the Hebrew 
particle or conjunction vau, evidently means or, and is so 
rendered by our translators. The words of Jephthah's vow 
may, therefore, be translated from the Hebrew, as above, 
viz : — " Whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house, 
&c. shall surely be the Lord's ; or I will offer it up for a 
burnt- offering ;" as it is the same Hebrew particle used in 
this case, that is used in the texts just cited. And if such 
be the import of Jephthah's vow, we may weU suppose, that 
in making it he had a sort of mental reserve, which would 
allow him to act as the exigency of the case might require ; 
i. e. either to dedicate to the Lord the object that should 
meet him, or to offer it up for a burnt- offering, according as 
the object itself should prove to be fit and proper for the 
one or the other of these purposes. But the words of Jeph- 
thah's vow may be translated in another Vay still, thus : — 
*' Whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house, to 
meet me, shall surely be the Lord's ; and I will offer him 
(i. e. to him, Jehovah) a burnt- offering." For examples of 
a similar idiom in the Hebrew, let the following passages, 
as they stand in that language, be carefully consulted, viz : 
Gen. xxxvii, 4, and xxxix, 21:2 Sam. xv, 4, and xx, 5 : 1 
Kings i, 4, and xx, 9 : JProv. xxviii, 22 : Ezek. xxi, 32. 
According to this translation, Jephthah's vow will consist of 
two parts. The first is, that whatsoever, i. e. whatsoever 
person or object should come forth of the doors of his house, 
to meet him, on his return, should surely be the Lord's ; 
should be dedicated, consecrated for ever to his service. The 
second is, that he would, besides this, offer to Jehovah a 
burnt-offering. The difference in meaning between this 
translation, and that contained in our English Bibles, con- 
sists in this. According to the latter, the very same object 
or person, who should *' surely be the Lord's," was to be 
offered up for a burnt-offering. According to the translation 
which I have last given, they were to be different objects. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 237 

The person that first met him from the doors of his hotise, 
was to be the Lord's, dedicated for ever to him ; and besides 
this, he was to offer to the Lord, a burnt-offering. It is 
readily seen, that so far as Jephthah's vow respected the 
person or object who should meet him from the doors of his 
house, its import might be the same, whichever of these 
translations, which I have given, should be adopted : And 
every Hebrew scholar knows that either of these translations 
is admissible. Accordingly, it is believed, that so far as 
Jephthah's vow respected his daughter, it is to be interpreted 
accordingly ; and that when it is said, " Her father did with 
her according to his vow which he had vowed ;" the mean- 
ing is, not that he put her to death ; but that he gave her 
wholly to the Lord ; i. e. dedicated her for ever to his ser- 
vice, in a state of perpetual virginity, and of seclusion from 
ordinary intercourse with the world. Such, also, is the 
opinion of many able divines. 

But as there are objections to this interpretation ; and as 
it is our duty to " prove all things," so far as we can ; and 
to " hold fast that which is good ;" let us candidly attend to 
what can be urged on the other side. The advocates for 
the sentiment, that Jephthah actually sacrificed his daughter, 
usually alledge the following things :- — 

1st. The letter of the vow itself. It has been already 
shown, that the original may properly be translated in two 
other ways, neither of which would favor the idea of an ac- 
tual sacrifice. 

2d. The agitation of Jephthah's mind, when he saw his 
daughter. It is supposed that he would not have been thus 
agitated, had he not foreseen that she must soon be sacrifi- 
ced, and that, too, by his own hands. But such agitation 
may be, in a good degree, accounted for, on the supposition, 
he knew that this daughter, his only child, was to be for ever 
secluded from him, and devoted to the Lord, in a state of 
perpetual virginity ; a state which was not only very disre- 
putable among the Jews, but (as she was his only child) 
must, in her case, deprive him of all prospect and possibility 
of having any posterity, to bear up his name in Israel. 

3d. Her request for permission to bewail her virginity for 
^wo months. (Verse 37.) It has been said, if she was to 



238 CRITICAL AND 

be dedicated by her father to the Lord, in perpetual virginity, 
such a request would have been needless and absurd ; as in 
that case, she would have had a whole life to lament it in. 
But the very phraseology here used, seems rather to confirm 
the interpretation I have given. For observe, she desired 
liberty to bewail her virginity, not her approaching death. 
If she knew that she was so soon to be sacrificed by her 
father, why did she not bewail her death also, as well as her 
virginity 1 Again, her design in this request might have been, 
to get some time for society with her companions, before 
her perpetual seclusion from them, and for social lamenta- 
tion ; for she says, " Let me alone two months, that I may 
go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virgini- 
ty, / and my felloivs." 

4th. The custom of the daughters of Israel, lamenting the 
daughter of Jephthah four days in a year. To this it may be 
replied, that one of the meanings of the Hebrew word tan- 
NOTH, (as may be seen in Buxtorf's Lexicon), is in Latin, 
confabulari, i. e. to talk with. In Judges v, 11, this same 
verb is translated rehearse : '* There shall they rehearse the 
righteous acts of the Lord." The comment of Kimchi, the 
celebrated Jewish expositor, on this 40th verse, is in these 
words : — " Ut scilicet amicis colloquiis earn de virginitatcj 
et statu vitcB solitario consolarentur ;" In English thus : — 
" That indeed, with their friendly discourse, they might com- 
fort her concerning her virginity, and her solitary state of 
life." The Chaldee, and R. Solomon, explain the above 
verb, by "ad lamentandum ;" and immediately add, by way 
of comment, ^^nempe super virginitate ejus ;^^ that is, "to 
wit, on account of her virginity." Whence it is evident, that 
learned Jewish doctors, who must be supposed to have un- 
derstood their own language best, have understood this verse 
as meaning, that the daughters of Israel went four times in 
a year, to converse with the daughter of Jephthah, to condole 
with her on account of her virginity, and solitary state of life, 
and to comfort her under it ; all which plainly implies tliat 
she was still alive. But take the passage as it reads : "The 
daughters of Israel went to lament the daughter of Jeph- 
thah." The question is, lohat in her, or respecting her, did 
they lament ? It is not here said, they lamented ber death ; 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 239 

and for us to say they did, is to beg the question. They 
might have lamented only what they and Jephthah's daugh- 
ter had lamented before, viz. her virginity. On the wholoy 
though some difficulties attend every interpretation of Jeph- 
thah's vow, which has been hitherto adopted, that which I 
have advocated has the fewest and the least, and is certainly 
admissible. 



I. SAMUEL. 

Chapter ix. Verse 7. 

" Then said Saul to his servant. But behold if we go, what 
shall we bring to the manl For the bread is spent in our 
vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of 
God: What have we ?" 

For the illustration of this text, the following remarks 
from Maundrel, a modern traveller, appear very useful, and 
very necessary to be remembered. In describing his jour- 
ney through Syria, he has these words, as cited by Harmer : 
" It is counted uncivil to visit in this country, without an of- 
fering in hand. All great men expect it, as a kind of tribute 
due to their character and authority ; and look upon them- 
selves as affronted, and indeed defrauded, when this com- 
pliment is omitted. Even in familiar visits amongst inferior 
people, you shall seldom have them come, without bringing 
a flower, or an orange, or some other such token of their 
respect, to the person visited ; the Turks, in this, keeping 
up the ancient oriental custom hinted in 1 Sam. ix, 7: 'If we 
go, says Saul, what shall we bring the man of God 1 There 
is not a present,' &c.; which words are, questionless, to be 
understood in conformity to this eastern custom ; as relating 
to Q. token of respect, and not a price of divinationJ^ This 
last remark of Maundrel is particularly to be remembered ; 
as many people, when they read of the presents made to the 
ancient prophets, as of this to Samuel, of that by Jeroboam's 
queen to Ahijah, (1 Kings xiv, 3), and of that which a Syrian 
nobleman would have made to EUsha, (2 Kings v, 5, 15), 
are apt to think those prophets were a mercenary set of m^n, 
(like modern fortune-tellers), who would not reveal any se- 
crets, nor foretell important future events, without a reward} 



240 CRITICAL AKD 

and that too beforehand ! Now, to think so, and especially 
to say so, must manifest either a deplorable ignorance of 
both ancient and modern oriental customs, or (what is still 
worse) an utter want of candor, and a spirit too much like 
that of Elymas, the sorcerer. (Acts xiii, 10.) All that needs 
to be said on this subject is, that the offering of presents, 
not only to distinguished men in both the civil and ecclesi- 
astical departments, but to inferiors also, was, of old, a fre-* 
quent custom in the east ; and, as appears from the journals 
of our Asiatic missionaries, is so at present. 

Chap, xxviii, 11, 12, 

" Then said the woman. Whom shall I bring up unto 
thee 1 And he said. Bring me up Samuel. And when the 
woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice ; and the 
woman spake to Saul, saying. Why hast thou deceived me? 
for thou art Saul." 

With the story respecting Saul and the witch of Endor, 
common readers have been much perplexed ; and not they 
only. Expositors of scripture have been much perplexed 
with it. Some circumstances relative to it are really mys- 
terious, and will probably remain so, until the hght of ano- 
ther world shall reveal them. The main, the most interest- 
ing part of the story, and the only particular in it to which I 
shall now directly attend, is that which relates to the resur- 
rection or reappearance of Samuel. The question then is — 
Did this woman really raise, bring up Samuel, or not ? This 
question, indeed, may be considered as divisible into two, 
viz : Was Samuel, the true Samuel, in fact raised up at all ; 
or was it only a spectre, an apparition 1 And, if he was in 
fact, in his proper person, raised up, did this woman raise 
him up ; or was his resurrection owing, in any sense or de- 
gree, to any agency of hers 1 On the first of these questions, 
some may be ready to decide as soon as they hear it propo- 
sed ; for what can be more evident, it may be asked, than 
that it was the real Samuel that appeared, since it is express- 
ly said, " The woman saw Samuel" — " Saul perceived that 
it was Samuel ;" And besides, a conversation of some length 
on matters of state is recorded, as having passed between 
Samuel and Saul. Well, then, for the present, be it so. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 241 

Say, if you choose, that it was the real Samuel that appear- 
ed, and not a mere spectre, nor (as some interpreters have 
strangely supposed) Satan personating Samuel. The next 
question is — Did this woman raise him up ; or were his re- 
surrection and reappearance owing to any stratagem or pow- 
er of hers 1 I answer, no : For, not to insist on the absurdi- 
ty which attends the supposition, that the Lord of all should 
permit a woman of her character and occupation, to disturb 
the repose of such an holy man and distinguished prophet, 
and even to raise the dead, (a work, which in 2 Cor. i, 9, 
and elsewhere, is ascribed to God) ; it may be observed, 
that from the very face of the account, as it stands, it would 
rather appear that she had no agency, either efficient or in- 
strumental, in the resurrection and reappearance of Samuel. 
" Whom shall I bring up unto thee," says she to Saul. "And 
he (Saul) said. Bring me up Samuel. And when the wo- 
man saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice." Does it 
not hence appear, that immediately after Saul had said, 
*' Bring me up Samuel," Samuel appeared. The narrative 
is such as to show, that these two events, Saul's charge to 
the woman, and the reappearance of Samuel, were simulta- 
neous, or as nearly so as they possibly could be. It shows, 
at least, that there could not h^ve been so long an interim 
between them, as to have allowed her an opportunity to bring 
her magical arts into operation, or indeed to do any thing 
at all. Accordingly, it seems she did nothing at all in this 
business ; that she did not even leave the place where she 
was ; that instantly on Saul's saying, " Bring me up Samu- 
el," the holy prophet appeared, and doubtless by some other 
power than hers. It is said, " When the woman saw Sam- 
uel, she cried with a loud voice." This shows her astonish- 
ment, and agitation of mind — astonishment, that he had 
so suddenly appeared — agitation, occasioned by his venera- 
ble and almost divine appearance ; for when Saul inquired 
of her the cause of her being so fearfully agitated, she re- 
plied, " I saw gods ascending out of the earth :...An old man 
Cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle." But would 
she have been so astonished, and agitated, if nothing unex- 
pected had taken place ; nothing but the ordinary effect of 
her own professional incantations 1 It has been deemed pro- 

21 



242 CRITICAL AND 

per to enlarge somewhat on this subject, because by infidels 
and the adversaries of the Bible, the case of the witch of 
Endor, together with that of the magicians of Egypt, has 
been often alledged in proof of their position, viz : that mir- 
acles, admitting them to have been wrought, are no demon- 
stration of the divine com.mission of those who wrought 
them. Or, if they must be so considered, then, say they, 
they prove the divine mission of the magicians of Egypt, 
and of the witch of Endor ; and prove, by necessary conse- 
quence, the equally authorised claims to a divine origin, of 
such contradictory schemes of religion as that of the Bible, 
and that of idolaters and conjurers ! Now, it is evident that 
those who make this objection take it for granted, that there, 
is as much, or at least as real evidence, that these persons 
perform.ed real miracles, as there is that the prophets, Jesus 
Chi'ist, and his apostles, did. But this we deny. As to the 
exploits of the magicians of Egypt, see my notes on that 
subject. In regard to the case now immediately before us, 
it may be observed, that whether it were a mere spectre, or 
Samuel's real person, that appeared to Saul, a divine, and 
not a magical agency, was, no doubt, the cause of that 
event, as well as of those events which followed, viz. the 
overthrow of the Israelitish army, and the death of Saul, and 
of his sons. — By the way, and in conclusion, I would re- 
mark, that the whole story relative to Saul and the witch of 
Endor, seems a decisive proof that the Jews believed in a 
separate state of existence ; and believed, not only that the 
soul was in a state of conscious existence, after it had left 
the body, but, also, that the deceased were sometimes per- 
mitted to make, in some way or other, interesting commu- 
nications to their surviving friends on earth. 

Chap, xxxi, 4. 

" Then said Saul unto his armor-bearer. Draw thy sword, 
and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised 
come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armor- 
bearer would not ; for he was sore afraid. Therefore, Saul 
took a sword, and fell upon it." 

But an Amalekite tells David, '' So / stood upon him, 
and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live af- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 243 

ter that he was fallen ; and I took the crown that was upon 
his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm, and have 
brought them hither unto my lord." (2 Sam. i, 10.) In one 
passage, we are told that Saul slew himself; in the other, 
that an Amalekite slew him. Here is indeed an inconsis- 
tency. But the sacred writer is not blameable for this ; nor 
can any valid objection be hence drawn against his divine 
inspiration. The business of the sacred writers, as such, 
was simply to make a faithful record of those facts or events 
which God would have them communicate to mankind. See 
my notes on 2 Timothy iii, 16 ; where it was shown that it 
is not necessary, in order to the whole Bible's being the 
word of God, that every thing recorded in it, as having been 
said or done by one and another, as, e. g. by Satan, by evil 
demons, and by wicked men, should have been immediately 
dictated by the Spirit of God, as said or done by them ; nor 
that every thing recorded in the Bible, as having been said 
or done by one and another, should be approved of by God, 
or should be, in itself considered, agreeable to the holy na- 
ture of God. We have in the Bible the speeches and re- 
marks of Satan, and wicked men, some of which are cer- 
tainly not true. Of this nature, very evidently, is the decla- 
ration of the young Amalekite. This was merely his own 
story ; the sacred penman having had no other concern with 
it than to record it ; and it has all the appearance of being 
a fiction and a falsehood, framed for ingratiating himself in- 
to favor with David. Indeed, some of the circumstances 
attending the young man's story, particularly his exhibition 
before David, of the crown that had been on Saul's head, 
and of the bracelet that had been on his arm, sufficiently 
proved the fact, that Saul was dead ; but they did not prove 
ivho it was that killed him. But this we learn from the pre- 
ceding chapter. In the account there given of the battle of 
the Israelites with the Philistines, it is expressly said, " Sau^ 
took a sword, and fell upon it." And that the wound h0 
thereby gave himself was a mortal one, appears from the 
very next verse, where it is said, '' His armor-bearer saW 
that Saul was dead" It seems, however, that David be- 
lieved, for the present, in the truth of what this young man 
saidj relative to the m^Euaer of SauPs 4eath ; as, indeed, he 



244 CRITICAL AND 

well might, not having received (as appears from the con- 
text) any other intelligence relative to that event, and his 
story being attended with such plausible circumstances. 
But this is no evidence that the story itself was true. It 
shows only, that David was for the present imposed upon 
and deceived ; as he doubtless discovered afterwards, in 
consequence of further information. — In the dreadful judg- 
ment, which, by the providence of God, so speedily befel 
this youth, (verses 15, 16), we see the truth of the wise 
man's observation : — " A false witness shall not be unpun- 
ished ; and he that telleth lies shall not escape." (Proverbs 
xix, 5.) 



II. SAMUEL. 

Chapter xii, Verses 21 — 23. 

" Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that 
tliou hast done 1 Thou didst fast and weep for the child, 
while it was alive ; but when the child was dead, thou didst 
rise and eat bread. And he said, while the child was yet 
alive, I fasted and wept ; for I said, who can tell whether 
God will be gracious to me, that the child may live ? But 
now he is dead, wherefore should I fast ? Can I bring him 
back again ? I shall go to him ; but he shall not return to 
me." 

Without some knowledge of oriental customs, it will be 
very difficult to enter into the true spirit of these verses ; 
more especially to understand fully the reason, or reasons, 
why the servants of David were so much astonished at the 
conduct of their master, on this occasion. From Sir John 
Chardin, as cited by Harmer, (vol. 2, page 495), we learn, 
that " it is usual in the east to leave a relation of a person 
deceased to weep and mourn ; till on the third or fourth day, 
at farthest, the relations and friends go to see him, cause him 
to eat, lead him to a bath, and cause him to put on new vest- 
ments ; he having before thrown himself upon the ground." 
One reason, therefore, of the astonishment of David's ser- 
vants at his behavior, was, that he did not observe the usual 
forms and ceremonies of mourning. Without waiting *' un-. 
til the third or fourth day," for others to come and see him., 



BXPLANATOR? NOTES. 245 

and rmnister unto him, " David arose from the earth" imme- 
diately, on hearing of the child's death, " and washed, and* 
anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and ate bread," 
(verse 20) ; and did all these things himself, without waiting 
for the arrival and assistance of his relations and friends. 
Again ; most readers may not perceive the lohole of the im- 
port of verse 23 : — " But now he is dead, wherefore shoul<J 
I fast 1 Can I bring him back again ? I shall go to him ; but 
he shall not return to me." The general opinion is, that the 
reason why David did not fast for the child, after it was aC" 
tually dead, was, his perceiving that the will of Heaven waf; 
done ; that the child's state, as it respected this world anc 
the world to come, was immutably fixed by the providenco 
of God ; and that, of course, all his fasting and praying for 
the continuation, or rather restoration of its life, would be ic. 
vain. Such, unquestionably, was a reason, perhaps the 
principal one, why he ceased fasting. But it appears thero 
was another reason, also, for it. Maimonides, a noted Jew- 
ish writer, says, " The Jews did not lament infants, who 
died before they were thirty days old." The inquisitive 
reader naturally asks, why there was this peculiarity in their 
feelings and practice, relative to infants who died under this 
tender age t The true answer probably is, they believed 
such infants were saved, and of course happy. 

Chap, xxiv, 1, 2, 9, 10. 
" And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against 
Israel, and he moved David against them to say. Go, nuni-» 
ber Israel and Judah. For the king said to Joab, the cap- 
tain of the host, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, fron? 
Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I 
may know the number of the people. And Joab gave up 
the sum of the number of the people unto the king : And 
there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men, 
that drew the sword ; and the men of Judah were five hun- 
dred thousand men. And David's heart smote him, after 
that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the 
Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done ; and now I 
beseech tbee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; 
for I have done very foolishly." 

21* 



246 CRITICAL AND 

The whole difficulty relative to these passages, consists 
in understanding how David's numbering his people could 
be a sin. That David believed the act to be sinful, is evi- 
dent from his humble confession, and earnest petition for 
pardon, in verse 10th ; and that it was really sinful, and to 
an high degree so, is certain from the dreadful judgment of" 
pestilence, which Jehovah brought upon Israel for this very 
act, and by which seventy thousand men were slain. (Terse 
15.) But ivhy should David's numbering his people be 
such a great sin 1 Is it not proper for a ruler to know, not 
only the general character and circumstances, but also the 
populousness and physical strength, of the nation or people 
over which he presides 1 And, particularly, if that nation be, 
exposed to frequent depredations and wars, from hostile cir- 
cumjacent nations, as the Jewish nation was, is it not pro- 
per, nay necessary, that its king, or chief magistrate, should 
become acquainted with its militarij strength, that he might 
know what would be its ability to contend with them, in case 
of an invasion 1 Political wisdom would surely suggest the 
propriety and necessity of such information ; and why, in a 
moral sense, should there be any thing wrong in it, or in 
using the means necessary to obtain it ? We believe there is 
nothing wrong, politically or morally, in taking a census of 
the inhabitants of the United States. How then could Da^ 
vid's numbering his people be such a sin? To this it may 
be replied, that when on former occasions a census was ta- 
ken, it was done by an express command from Jehovah. 
There were two numberings of the people in the time of 
Moses ; and in both these instances, the enumeration was 
made by an express divine command. (See Num. i, 1 — 4, 
and xxvi, 1 — 5.) But David's numbering of the people ap- 
pears to have originated with himself. We have no account 
of his having received any divine command for this purpose. 
His sin, therefore, might have consisted, at least in part, in 
doing that of himself^ which, for ought we know, could have 
been authorised only by a divine command. Again ; the 
Lord had required that when the people were numbered, 
half a shekel from each should be collected for the service 
of the sanctuary. But as no mention is made of such col- 
Lection, either in David's order to Joab, or in Joab's pro- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 247 

cecdings consequent thereon, it is probable the collection 
was omitted. After all, David's sin in this affair consisted 
principally in his pride : as Hezekiah's did, when he showed 
his treasures to the messengers of the king of Babylon, (2 
Kings XX, 13) ; and as Nebuchadnezzar's did, when he said, 
" Is not this great Babylon, that / have built for the house 
of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor 
of my majesty 1" (Daniel iv, 30.) David's pride and am- 
bition prompted him to count the numbers of his people, to 
ascertain v/hat a great and warlike nation it was, over which 
he presided, of whose prosperity he had been the principal 
instrument, and which he was soon to leave to his succes- 
sor. Such we mus.t suppose to have been the essence and 
sum of David's sin in this affair. 

Verse 24. 

" And the king said unto Araunah, Kay ; but I will surely 
buy it of thee at a price : Neither will I offer burnt-offerings 
unto the Lord my God, of that which doth cost me nothing. 
So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen, for fifty 
shekels of silver." 

But in the parallel place, (1 Chron. xxi, 25), it is said, 
^' So Darid gave to Oman, (or Araunah), for the place, six 
hundred shekels of gold, by weight." Is there not an in- 
consistency, or rather a conti'adiction, between these two 
passages 1 The infidel may exultingly pretend there is ; and 
the superficial reader may not be able to discern and expose 
the fallacy of the pretence. But a careful attention to these 
two texts will show, that there is no inconsistency between 
them. In the first cited passage, mention is made only of 
the threshing-floor, and the oxen : For these, it is said, Da- 
vid gave fifty shekels of silver. In the last cited passage, 
the place is mentioned, which must have comprehended 
much more than the threshing-floor and oxen. The place 
included, probably, the entire tract of the mountain on which 
the temple was afterwards built, together with *' the oxen 
for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, 
and the wheat for the meat-offering." For the place, thus 
extensive and comprehensive, David gave six hundred she- 
kels of gold. We see, then, that if the two passages do not 



248 CRITICAL AND 

speak exactly the same thing, they do not speak contrary 
things ; that there is no discrepancy between them, when 
rightly understood ; and that they are entirely consistent 
with each other. , 



I. KINGS. 

Chapter ii. Verses 8, 9. 

" And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei, the son of 
Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a 
grievous curse, in the day when I went to Mahanaim : But 
he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by 
the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death by the sword. 
Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless ; for thou art a wise 
man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him ; but 
his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood." 

As to the ninth verse, with which my chief concern is at 
present, it is evident, that the middle clause of it, viz. " for 
thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do 
unto him," ought to be understood as a parenthesis. The 
prominent subject of the verse is David's charge to Solo- 
mon, respecting Shimei. The middle clause of the verse is 
an apostrophe to Solomon, and has no direct concern with 
the charge itself. The charge itself, therefore, is this : — 
" Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless, but his hoar head 
bring thou down to the grave with blood." But still a diffi- 
culty attends this passage, as it stands in our version. That 
David, a '* man after God's own heart," who had, in such 
an eminent degree, the spirit of the gospel, and of course 
the spirit of forgiveness, should command Solomon to put 
Shimei to death, and that, too, after he had expressly par- 
doned him, (2 Sam. xix, 23), and when he himself was 
about to " go the way of all the earth," is, indeed, mysteri- 
ous and perplexing. Hence arises a stumbling-block to the 
weak believer, a»d matter of cavil and of triumph to the 
captious infidel. Infidels have always been ready enough 
to find fault with David in other respects ; and if in this, al- 
so, he is so greatly censurable as they suppose, he must, it 
seems, merit a representation far different from that which 
Christians, and christian preachers, usually give of him. But 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 249 

let US attend more directly to the charge itself: — " Now, 
therefore, hold him not guiltless ; but his hoar head bring 
thou down to the grave with blood." Now, the important 
remark to be made relative to this verse is, that it may be 
translated from the original thus : — " Now, therefore, hold 
him not guiltless ; nor his hoar head bring thou down to the 
grave with blood." The Hebrew particle vau, or vav, 
which in our version is rendered but, and which in that now 
given is rendered nor, as occurring in the Hebrew Bible, is 
used with no less than sixteen different shades of meaning, 
(See Parkhurst's Hebrew Lexicon.) Its first and most 
natural meaning corresponds to that of the English conjunc- 
tion and; but it is used in numerous and various other 
senses. The remark, however, which has a direct bearing 
on the point now before us, and which may be instructive 
to all, as well as interesting to the Hebrew student, is, that 
when the particle vau comes immediately after another and 
a negative particle, (such as means in English, not, neither, 
nor), it also (viz. the Hebrew particle vau) has, very fre- 
quently, a negative meaning attached to it : or, at least, ex- 
tends the force of the negative equally to the last member 
of the sentence. A few examples may illustrate the truth 
of this remark. " Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no 
dew ; neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offer- 
ings." (2 Sam. i, 21.) The Hebrew particle here prefixed 
to the word sedee, (fields), is vau, which is here justly 
translated nor ; because it is twice in the same verse prece- 
ded by the negative particle al, (not, or nor.) "But the 
king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains, that 
had rule over his chariots, saying. Fight neither with small 
nor great, save only with the king of Israel." (1 Kings xxii, 
31.) In this case, also, the Hebrew particle connected 
with GADOL, (great), is vau, which the sense evidently re- 
quires to be rendered nor, and which, accordingly, our trans- 
lators have thus rendered. For though the particle itself, 
simply and abstractedly considered, has a connective, rather 
than a disjunctive signification ; yet, when immediately pre- 
ceded by a negative particle, as in this case, it also has a 
negative or prohibitory meaning attached to xi, *' Give m© 
neither poverty nor riches." (Prov. xxx, 8.) Here, ag^iios 



250 CRITICAL AND 

the particle connected with esher, (riches), is vau, which 
our translators have rightly rendered nor. Let the Hebrew 
scholar, for his further satisfaction on this point, examine in 
the original the following passages : — Ex. xx, 4 ; Lev. xix, 
12 : Deut. vii, 25, and xxxiii, 6 : 2 Kings vii, 10 : 1 Chron. 
xxi, 24 : 2 Chron. i, 11 : Job iii, 10, and xxxii, 9 : Ps. i, 5 ; 
xxvi, 9, and xliv, 19 : Prov. iii, 25 ; vi, 4, and xxx, 3 : Isa. 
xiv, 21 : Jer. xv, 17, and xix, 4 : Ezek. xiii, 5. Enough 
has been said to show, that the passage before us may as 
well, or with more propriety, be translated as Dr. Kennicott 
and various other Hebraists have translated it — thus : — 
*' Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless ; nor his hoar head 
bring thou down to the grave with blood." And if the pas- 
sage may be thus understood ; that is, if it may be under- 
stood as a prohibition^ rather than as a command for Solo- 
mon to put Shimei to death ; other circumstances seem 
strongly to recommend, and to require, such a rendering, 
and such an understanding of the words. For, 

1st. David had already pardoned Shimei for his past of- 
fence against him. The history of the affair is affecting :-^ 
" And Shimei, the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of 
Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah, to 
meet king David. And Shimei, the son of Gera, fell down 
before the king, as he was come over Jordan ; and said un- 
to the king. Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me ; nei- 
ther do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely, 
the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the 
king should take it to his heart : For thy servant doth know 
that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I am come the first 
this day of all the house of Joseph, to go down to meet my 
lord the king. And David said. Shall there any man be put 
to death this day in Israel ? For do not I know that I am 
this day king over Israel ? Therefore, the king said unto 
Shimei, thou shalt not die ; and the king sware unto him." 
(2 Sam. xix, 16, &c.) To say with some, that David par- 
doned Shimei only for the present ; or with others, that Da- 
vid meant merely that he would not put him to death ; does 
Tiot appear by any means satisfactory. The declaration is 
absolute and decisive — " Thou shalt not die ;" i. e. thou 



HXPLANATORY NOTES. 261 

shall not be put to death for this offence ; and this declara- 
tion was accompanied with a solemn oath. 

2d. Solomon, who must have rightly understood the 
meaning of this his father's charge, did not understand it as 
a direction to put Shimei to death, for his previous offence 
against his father : For after his ascension to the throne? 
Solomon "sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, 
Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go 
not forth thence any whither : For it shall be, that on the 
day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou 
shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die : Thy blood 
shall be upon thine own head." (1 Kings ii, 36, 37.) Now, 
surely, in all this there is nothing that looks like any design 
on the part of Solomon, to put Shimei to death. On the 
contrary, the language here used implies, that so long as 
Shimei should dwell oxiietly in Jerusalem, and confine him- 
self to his appointed limits, his life would be safe. True, 
Solomon did put Shimei to death afterwards ; but it was for 
a subsequent offence ; an offence not against his father Da- 
vid, but against himself. Solomon, as we have seen, order- 
ed Shimei to confine himself to Jerusalem : But Shimei 
transgressed this order ; for at the end of three years, he 
went out of Jerusalem to Gath, to seek his servants. (Verse 
;40.) Solomon, hearing of this, sent for Shimei, and expos- 
tulated with him on the iniquity of his conduct, in disobeying 
him, and in violating at the same time his own solemn pro- 
mise and oath ; and ordered him, for such disobedience, to 
be put to death. Shimei's wickedness towards king David, 
was indeed mentioned by Solomon, as a reason why the 
Lord would not leave him unpunished. At the same time 
it is efident, that the primary, principal, and only direct rea- 
son of Shimei's destruction by Solomon, was his disobedi- 
ence to Solomon's order before mentioned. If, then, Solo- 
mon did not in fact put Shimei to death for his offence against 
his father David, but permitted him to live some years after- 
wards, it is manifest, that he did not understand the charge 
nov,^ under consideration, as requiring him to put Shimei to 
death for such offence. But what, then, is the real meaning 
of the charge 1 Answer : It appears to be, as if David had 
said, * Thou knowest Shimei, the son of Gera, who once 



252 CRITICAL AND 

cursed me so bitterly. He is verily guilty, and deserves to 
die. Now, therefore, as thou art a wise man, thoii Wilt 
readily know what management of him will be most proper. 
Hold him not guiltless ; for he is by no means so, though I J| 
have pardoned him for his, offence against me. But he isif 
still a wicked, artful, and dangerous man. Have your eye 
upon him ; watch him closely ; beware of giving him too 
much liberty. In short, let your treatment of him be such, 
as to show that you consider him as still a wicked and a dan- 
gerous man : But do not put him to death for an offence 
which I have already pardoned.' — I shall add only, that as 
the above interpretation of this passage is certainly admis- 
sible ; so it completely clears the character, and justifies 
the conduct of David, in this particular. 



n. KINGS. 

Chapter v, Verse 18. 

'' In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my 
master goeth into the house of Rimmon, to worship there, 
and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house 
of Ptimmon ; when I bow down myself in the house of Rim- 
mon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing." 

That this singular request of Naaman to the prophet Eli- 
sha, may be rightly understood, it is necessary, first of all, 
to inquire and ascertain what it refers to ; whether to his 
past, or to his proposed future conduct. Did Naaman 
mean to be understood as praying the Lord to pardon his 
'past idolatrous worship in the temple of Rimmon ; or, as 
requesting a license for ihQ future continuation of such wor- 
ship ? Those who suppose he meant the first, alledge, in 
support of their opinion, the prophet's reply to him, *' Go in 
peace ;" a reply, which they can easily understand and jus- 
tify, on the ground, that Elisha intended hereby to announce 
to the penitent Syrian, (for penitent they suppose him to 
have been), a pardon for his past idolatry ; but which they 
can neither justify nor understand, on the other supposition. 
Now, from the words of the petition themselves, (especially 
v/hen taken in connection with the prophet's reply to him), 



SXPLAiVATOKY NOTES. 253 

it seems most probable, that neither of these things was di- 
rectly intended by Naaman. Probably, all Naaman meant 
m this address to Elisha, was, to request the liberty and pri- 
vilege of performing, or at least of attending, certain cere- 
monies ^^ in the idol's temple ;" not as acts of worship to the 
idol, but simply as expressions of loyalty and courtesy to 
his prince. His words may be understood in this sense. 
Such, accordingly, is in substance the interpretation adopt- 
ed by Henry, Scott, and others, and seems attended with 
the fewest difficulties. Some difficulty, however, still re- 
mains. Was there not some degree of guilt in Naaman's 
proceeding even so far as this 1 How could such conduct 
consist with the unqualified requisition, " Have no fellow- 
ship with the unfruitful works of darkness ; but rather reprove 
them?' And how could the prophet have said to him, *' Go 
ixi peace," even if no more than this had been his meaning ? 
Though Naaman was not an Israelite ; though, as holding a 
high station in Benhadad's court, he might have been expect- 
ed of course to accompany his master, when he went into 
the house of Rimmon, and might have considered it as his 
duty so to do ; still, as a determined worshipper of the God 
of Israel, (verse 17), it was inconsistent and wrong for him 
to have given, in any way, the least countenance to idolatry. 
But, doubtless, we do not understand all the circumstances 
in Naaman's case. The prophet perceived some favorable 
things in this man. He perceived that conviction had got- 
ten hold of his mind ; so far, at least, that he was convinced 
that bowing himself in the house of Rimmon was not right. 
Those convictions, we may suppose, he left to work in their 
own way, and to produce their desired effect, with the hope, 
that, as his mind became more enlightened, his faith strength- 
ened, and his judgment matured, he would discern and re- 
nounce the errors which still adhered to him, in relation to 
this subject, and protest against all idolatry. In view of 
the good things which the prophet saw in this man, he foil 
authorised to say to him, in general terms, " Go in peace ;" 
hoping, that so far as he was in this respect differently mind- 
ed from what he ought to be, " God would reveal even this 
unto him," in his own good time and way. 

22 



254 CRITICAL AND 

I. CHRONICLES. 
Chapter xix, Yerse 7. 

" So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the 
king of Maachah, to help them." 

Passages of this kind (io not affect any fundamental arti- 
cle of the christian faith, whatever interpretation we may 
put upon them. And the only reason why this text is noti- 
ced at all in this work, is, that the fact herein stated appears 
incredible. In explanation, it may be observed, that the 
Hebrew word here used does not always denote chariots. 
It is a generic noun, and signifies also, sometimes, cavalry, 
or riders, mounted on chariots or horses, but who occa- 
sionally served as infantry, or foot-soldiers. And that such 
is the proper import of the word in this place, appears from 
2 Sam. X, 6, where we are told, that thirty-two thousand was 
the number of me^i actually hired by these Ammonites, of the 
Syrians, besides a thousand men, whom they hired of king 
Maachah. 



II. CHRONICLES. 



Chapter xxxv, Yerse 24. 

" His servants, therefore, took him (Josiah) out of that? 
chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had ; and 
they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried 
in one of the sepulchres of his fathers ; and all Judah and 
Jerusalem mourned for Josiah." 

In Bishop Lowth's seventh lecture " On the sacred po- 
etry of the Hebrews," I find the following remarks on the 
Jewish sepulchres : — " The sepulchres of the Hebrews, at 
least those of respectable persons, and those which heredi- 
tarily belonged to the principal famihes, were extensive 
caves, or vaults, excavated from the native rock by art and 
manual labor. The roofs of them in general were arched ; 
and some were so spacious, as to be supported by colon- 
nades. All round the sides were cells, for the reception of 
the sarcophagi ; these were properly ornamented with sculp- 
ture, and each was placed in its proper cell. The cave or 
sepulchre admitted no light, being closed by a great stone, 
which was rolled to the mouth of the narrow passage or en- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 255 

trance. Many of these receptacles are still extant in Judea ; 
two in particular are more magnificent than all the rest, and 
are supposed to be the sepulchres of the kings. One of these 
is in Jerusalem, and contains twenty-four cells ; the other, 
containing twice that number, is in a place without the city." 



NEHEMIAH. 

Chapter vi, Verse 5. 

^' Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me, in like man- 
ner, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand." 

Why this letter should have been sent open, and, indeed, 
why any notice at all should have been taken of this circum- 
stance of the letter, it is impossible to determine, without 
some other information than what the Bible afibrds. For 
the illustration of this passage, we must again refer to ori- 
ental customs. Harmer has shown, that the custom of the 
ancient Asiatics was, and that the custom of the Turks to 
this day is, when they send letters to common and mean per- 
sons, to send them ojoen, and unenclosed : But when they 
wrote to persons of distinction, they enclosed their letters in 
satin bags, "with a paper tied to it, directed and sealed, 
and with an ivory button tied on the wax." It is evident, 
therefore, that Sanballat's sending an open letter to Nehe- 
miah, was designed for some other purpose than merely that 
the people should read it, and being terrified Ihereby, should 
forsake their work, from fear of the Persians. It was, it 
seems, designed as an insult on Nehemiah, as a contempt- 
uous treatment of him, and as an indication that he (Sanbal- 
lat) would be so far from recognising those claims to autho- 
rity, which Nehemiah had begun to assert, and which he was 
about to assert with still greater decision, that he would not 
even pay him any respect above what was due to ordinary 
men. 



PSALMS. 

Psalm xxii, Verse 3. 
'* But thou art holy, thou that inbabitest the praises of 
Israel." 



256 CRITICAL AND 

The word tehilloth, translated praises, properly signi- 
fies irradiations. Accordingly, Bishop Lowth translates 
the verse thus : — " Thou that inhabitest the irradiations — 
the glory of Israel." Surely praises, strictly such, can nev- 
er be inhabited. The word refers to those resplendent ma- 
nifestations which Jehovah made of himself; sometimes in 
light and in fire, as at Sinaf, (Ex. xix, 18) ; sometimes ia 
the pillar of cloud and of fire, (Ex. xiii, 21) ; sometimes 
over the cherubim, (Ezek. ix, 3, and' x, 4.) In those irra- 
diations, Jehovah's glorious presence indeed was ; them, 
He inhabited ; and by or through them. He was praised, 
and glorified. 

Psalm li, 16. 

" For thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give it : 
Thou delightest not in burnt-offerings." 

But did not Jehovah both desire and require sacrifices 
under the former dispensation 1 None acquainted with the 
Old Testament, and believing it to be his word, can deny it. 
What, then, is the meaning of this passage 1 Answer : It 
must mean, either that Jehovah did not desire or require 
sacrifices comparatively ; that is, the sacrifice of brute ani- 
mals was of very little importance, when compared with 
that of a broken and contrite spirit, (verse 17) ; or, which 
is most probable, that no animal sacrifices whatever would 
be accepted as an atonement for murder — one of the sins 
which it is the purpose of this penitential psalm to confess 
and lament. The statute was, ^' Whoso sheddeth man's 
blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Indeed, by the 
laws of Jehovah, both murder and adultery were punishable 
by death. No Jewish sacrifice could expiate the guilt, or 
save the life of the offender. 

Psalm lix, 14, 15. 

*' And at evening let them return ; and let them make a 
noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them 
wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not sa* 
tisfied." 

The following illustration of this passage, by Robinson, 
in his Greek Lexicon, may be interesting in one view, if iu 
no other. It may serve as an additional confiriaatioii of 



EXPLANATORY KOTES. 257 

what has been repeatedly asserted and verified in this work, 
viz. the frequent allusions made in the holy scriptures to an- 
cient oriental customs ; many of which, and this among the 
rest, continue the same even to this day. ** In the east, (says 
our author), dogs, with the exception of those used in hunt- 
ing, have no masters, but wander free in the streets, and 
feed upon the offals which are cast into the gutters. (Ex. 
xxii, 31.) Being often at the point of starvation, they de- 
vour corpses, (1 Kings xiv, 11, and xvi, 4); and in the 
night, even attack living men. They are objects of univer- 
sal abhorrence ; and hence to call any one a dog, is an ex- 
pression of contemptuous reproach." (See Job xxx, 1 : 1 
Sam. xvii, 43 : 2 Kings viii, 13.) 

Psalm lxxii, 6 — 17. 

*' He shall come down Hke rain upon the mown grass ; 
as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the right- 
eous flourish ; and abundance of peace, so long as the moon 
endureth. He shall have dominion, also, from sea to sea, 
and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that 
dwell in the \/ilderness shall bow before him ; and his ene- 
mies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the 
isles shall bring presents ; the kings of Sheba and Seba 
shall offer gifts ; Yea, all kings shall fall down before him ; 
all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy 
when he crieth ; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 
He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls 
of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and 
violence ; and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 
And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of 
Sheba. Prayer, also, shall be made for him continually ; 
and daily shall he be praised. There shall be an handful of 
corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains ; the fruit 
thereof shall shake like Lebanon ; and they of the city shall 
flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for 
ever ; his name shall be continued as long as the sun ; and 
men shall be blessed in him. All nations shall call him 
blessed." 

That the preceding verses relate primarily and literally 
to the person and glorious reign of Solomon, is undeniable. 
22* 



258 CRITICAL ANI> 

But that in a secondary and spiritual sen^e, they are refera- 
ble to the person and administration of " a greater than 
Solomon," is conceded by the best expositors, and is, in- 
deed, very evident from the words themselves. By a beau- 
tiful allusion to various and numerous objects in the natural 
world, (objects -with which the Jews were perfectly familiar), 
the Psalmist here represents, as lucidly as the darkness of 
the age in which he lived would permit^ the character, ex- 
tent, and duration, of the then future reign of the divine 
Messiah. It is almost needless to add, for every Christian 
knows, that this representation is not overstrained, but has 
been fully verified by facts. Yes, wherever the blessed Je- 
sus has reigned by his word and Spirit ; wherever (to use 
the language of this psalm) he has " come down like rain up- 
on the mown grass ;" there the righteous have flourished like 
trees planted by the rivers of water, (Ps. 1,2); and abun- 
dance of peace has been enjoyed. They that dwell in the 
wilderness, and in the new settlements, have cordially bow- 
ed before him, and his enemies have been confounded. 
Yea, kings and emperors, queens and empresses, have fallen 
dov/n before him, and have become nursing fathers and nurs- 
ing mothers to his church. Jesus has delivered the needy 
when he cried ; the poor also, and him that had none to help 
him. He has spared the poor and needy, and saved the 
souls of the needy. He has redeemed their soul from de- 
ceit and violence ; and precious has their blood been in his 
sight. Our Redeemer shall live for ever and ever. Prayer, 
also, shall be made, not only to him, and through him, but 
for him, for the increase and perpetuity of his kingdom ; and 
eternally shall he be praised by the celestial hierarchy, and 
by all his redeemed people. To the number of '' ten thou- 
sand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands," they 
will say with a loud voice^ " Worthy is the Lamb that was 
slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and 
strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." (Rev, v, 11, 
12.) Indeed, of him only can it be said, with strict proprie- 
ty, (as in verse 17), that his name shall endure /or ever ; 
that his name shall be continued as long as the sun ; and 
that all nations shall call him blessed. — The preceding quo- 
tations and remarks prepare the way for one important re* 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 25§ 

mark, viz : Many, perhaps most parts of the Psalms, have 
a two-fold meaning ; a liter al^ and a spiritual or mystical 
one. The truth of this position, and its importance, as it 
respects us Gentiles, Bishop Home has ingeniously illus- 
trated, in the preface to his excellent "Commentary on the 
Eook of Psalms ;" and it should be carefully remembered, 
by all such as wish to enter into the true spirit of this most 
precious part of the sacred writings. — As we have attended 
to the views which David had of the Messiah, and to the de- 
scription he gave of his glorious reign on earth, about one 
thousand years before his incarnation ; it may be proper to 
hear, also, what Maimonides, a noted Jewish writer of mo- 
dern times, has to say on this subject. ''As to the days of 
the Messiah, (says he), they are the time when the kingdom 
shall be restored to Israel, and they shall return to Palestine. 
And this king shall be potent, the metropolis of whose king- 
dom shall be Zion ; and his name shall be famous to the 
uttermost parts of the earth. He shall be greater than Solo- 
mon ; and with him shall all the nations make peace, and 
yield him obedience, because of his justice, and the miracles 
that he shall perform. If any one shall rise against him, 
God shall give him up into his hand, to be destroyed. All 
the scripture declares his happiness, and the happiness ive 
shall have by him. Howbeit, nothing in the nature of things 
shall be changed ; only Israel shall have the kingdom ; for 
so our wise men say expressly. There is no difference be- 
tween these days and the days of the Messiah, but only the 
subduing the nations under us. The Messiah shall die, and 
his son, and his son's son, shall reign after him ; but his 
kingdom shall endure long, and men shall live long in those 
days. Eut the days of the Messiah are not so much to be 
desired, that we may have store of corn and wealth, but 
for the society and conversation of good men." (See Owen 
on the Hebrews, vol. 1, page 180.) Still are the majority 
of the Jews tenacious of these two points relative to the 
Messiah ; that he is yet to come, and that his kingdom is to be 
a temporal and a ivorldly kingdom. " Even unto this day, 
when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart." May 
God hasten the time, when they shall turn to the Lord, and 
this vail shall be tak^n away ! 



^0 CRITICAL AND 

Psalm lxxxvii, 5. 

" And of Zion it shall be said, this and that man was 
born in her." 

The words in the original are, ish ve ish, signifying Hte- 
rally, a man and a man ; or, as they have been rendered by 
some, the man, even the man. (Boe Bishop Home, in loco.) 
According to the last rendering, the words are applicable to 
the Messiah, who was to be born in Zion, and from whom 
Zion herself was to receive everlasting salvation and glory. 
He was to be " the man," by way of eminence; " the first 
begotten among many brethren ; fairer than the children of 
men ; higher than the kings of the earth." A circumstance 
giving some weight to this interpretation is, that ish denotes 
commonly a man of distinction ; as adam (the other Hebrew 
word for man) does a common man merely. The most natu- 
ral meaning, however, of the Hebrew phrase, seems to be 
that embraced in the first mentioned translation, viz. ' a 
man and a man;' i. e. men in succession, a long succession 
of men, including among others, some distinguished men 
also. The principal design of the Psalmist, in this place, 
seems to have been, to assure us from the spirit of prophe- 
cy, that numerous and y.et ever-increasing additions would 
be made to the church of God in future times. " Glorious 
things are spoken of thee, city of God. Selah." (Verse 
3.) 

Psalm cix, 7, &c. 

*' When he shall be judged, let him be condemned ; and 
let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few, and let an- 
other take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and 
his wife a widow. Let the extortioner catch all that he 
hath ; and let the strangers spoil his labor. Let there be 
none to extend mercy unto him ; neither let there be any to 
favor his fatherless children," &c. 

Such expressions as these have sometimes proved the oc- 
casion of much perplexity to the pious, and of much caviling 
among the wicked. They have been considered by many, 
as indicating in David a spirit very unchristian, and indeed 
very malignant and revengeful. Indeed, if they must be 
considered as mere imprecations, and as expressions of the 
real desires of David's heart, we all, perhaps, ought to re- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 261 

gard them in the light just mentioned. But the important 
remark to be made relative to these passages is, that the 
verbs here used are in the future tense, and that of course 
the expressions themselves may very properly be considered 
as predictions only : Thus — *' His days shall be few ; his 
children shall be fatherless, and his wife a widow," &c. 
Further, even if the verbs here used should be understood as^ 
if they were in the imperative mood, and not in the future 
tense of the indicative, it would not hence certainly follow, 
that the passages in question ought to be considered as im- 
precations. They might be predictions still, or at most only 
prophetical denunciations, by virtue of that well known idi- 
om of the Hebrew language, by which the imperative mood 
is sometimes used for the future tense of the indicative. 
See, in illustration. Gen. xx, 7, which, translated literallyv 
is, " And he shall pray for thee, and live;" i. e. thou shalt 
live. Also, xlv, 18 — " I will give you the land of Egypt ; 
and eat (i. e. ye shall eat) of the fat of the land." (See, al- 
so, in the Hebrew, Gen. xlii, 18 : Isa. ix, 3.) 

Psalm cxxix, 6. 

" Let them be as the grass upon the house tops, which 
withereth afore it groweth up." 

The houses of the Jews, as has been already observed, 
had flat rocfs. (See the comments on Mat. xxiv, 17.) On 
these was a plaster of terrace. On this some grass grew ; 
but as it had " no deepness of earth," and was exposed to 
the scorching rays of an almost vertical sun, it soon wither- 
ed away. Thus transient, the Psalmist tells us, is the pros- 
perity of all such as hate Zion. How impressive the illus-. 
tration! *^ All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the 
flower of grass." (1 Pet. i, 25.) 

Psalm cxxxix, 21, 22. 

" Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee ? .... I 
hate them with perfect hatred ; I count them mine ene- 
mies." 

The hatred here mentioned by David, as exercised by 
him towards the enemies of the Lord, was a hatred opposed 
directlyj not to the love of benevolence, but to the love q£ 



262 CRITICAL AND 

complacency. (See, as a similar text, Rom. ix, 13.) David 
hated their characters and conduct ; not their persons. 
While, as a godly man, he could not but disapprove of and 
detest the former, he wished well to the latter. 



PROVERBS. 

Chapter ix. Verses 1 — 4. 

" Wisdom .... hath killed her beasts ; she hath mingled 
her wine ; she hath also furnished her table ; she hath sent 
forth her maidens ; she crieth upon the highest places of the 
city : Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither," &c. 

The following custom, noticed by Hasselquist in Egypt, 
and considered by him as very ancient, may serve to illus- 
trate these passages. " I saw (says he) a number of women, 
who went about inviting people to a banquet. They were 
about ten or twelve, covered with black veils, as is customa- 
ry in that country. They were preceded by four eunuchs. 
After them, and on their right side, were Moors, with their 
usual walking staves. As they were walking, they all join- 
ed in making a noise." Whence we learn, that the invita* 
tion to the banquet or feast was given by a number of maid- 
ens or females ; also, that it was not private, as is usual in 
our country, but public and loudly proclaimed. Thus much 
for the illustration of these verses in their literal sense only. 
Understood figuratively, and in reference to their moral or 
spiritual import, how replete with instruction are they ! Ta- 
ken in this view, they remind us of the rich and abundant 
provision which the God of mercy has made for our famish- 
ing souls; of the commission given to his ministers, to in- 
vite thereto their fellow sinners universally, not excepting 
even the simple, and those that want understanding ; and of 
the necessity there is of our forsaking our foolish and wick- 
ed ways, in order that we may be either qualified for, or 
benefitted by that heavenly banquet. 

Chap, xx, 1. 
" Wine is a mocker ; strong drink is raging ; and whoso- 
ever is deceived thereby is pot wise." 



EXPLANATORY NOTfiS. 263 

In these days, much is said, and much is done, and much 
interest is excited in the public mind, in relation to the sub- 
ject of spirituous liquors. Temperance societies, formed 
on the plan of entire abstinence from ail intoxicating drinks, 
except when they are plainly needed for medicinal purposes, 
i. e. either for curing or preventing diseases, have already 
become very numerous, and are daily increasing in num- 
bers and influence. But these societies meet with much op° 
position, not only from the intemperate, but sometimes, too, 
from a (^^uarter whence it was not expected, even from per- 
sons who are themselves decidedly temperate. There is 
evidently a great difference of viev/s in relation to this sub- 
ject; not so mu2h in regard to absolute or partial intoxica- 
tion, (for all sober-minded people allow that to be wrong, 
and agree in condemning it), as in regard to the principle of 
total abstinence. Many good people think it not wrong, ei- 
ther in themselves or others, to use spirituous liquors occa- 
sionally and moderately, even when they are not the subjects 
of any particular disease, and when their bodily health is not 
particularly endangered ; while others are inflexible in the 
resolution to " go for the whole," (as the saying is), and 
will be contented with nothing short of " toucli not, taste not, 
handle not." Now, amidst this diversity of views, it may 
be well for us to inquire, '' Whatsaith the scripture .?" what 
instruction does that give us on this subject, either by way 
of precept or example 1 All, who are acquainted with the 
Bible, know that it speaks of ivine and strong drink, (of the 
former especially), in numerous passages beside that whieh 
stands at the head of this article ; and that it frequently 
makes mention of such liquors as having been in fact used 
by the Hebrews, and others, in ancient times. In order to 
give what light I can from the scriptures on this subject, I 
shall propose and answer these two questions, viz : — What 
do the scriptures mean by the terms zoiwe, strong drink, &c. ? 
and. In what light are they considered in the scriptures ; and 
how far did God permit the use of them to his people of 
old? 

1st. What do the scrip tufes mean by the terms wine, 
strong drink, &c.? I inquire, in the first place, what did the 
Hebrews intend by the term wine ? Or rather, (to speak 



264 CRITICAL AND 

more correctly), what did they intend by those ivords in their 
language, which are translated ivine in ours 1 They had 
three words, which by our translators are rendered wine, 
viz. YAYiN, soBE, and TiROSH. Of these, the two first are, 
substantially, of the same import, signifying wine in general ; 
the last signifies neiv ivine, i. e. wine lately made, and which 
of course is not yet thoroughly fermented and purified. But 
what did they mean by these terms ? What was the nature 
of that sort of liquor which is called loine in our Bibles ? I 
answer, the wine mentioned in scripture was two-fold. The 
proper wine of the Hebrews, and that which was most used 
by them, was the simple juice of the grape. For the manu- 
facture of this sort of wine, their country afforded many and 
pecuHar facilities and advantages. Numerous vineyards 
were planted, and fenced, and fortified, with singular care 
and industry, and great numbers of people were employed 
in the cultivation of them. (Isa. v, 1 — 4 : Mat. xxi, 33.) 
The grapes raised therefrom, when pressed, produced wine 
of an excellent flavor and quality. But still, it was simple 
pure wine, without any mixture of foreign ingredients, and 
without any other power to produce either intoxication, or 
exhilaration of the animal spirits, except what the mere juice 
of the grape would give. Now, this sort of wine is what 
we are commonly to understand by the term ivine, as it is 
used in the sacred scriptures. But beside this, there was 
another sort of wine, or wine prepared in another form, of 
which mention is repeatedly made by the inspired writers. 
This was called mixed ivine, or mingled wine : And this, 
also, was of two sorts ; so far, I mean, as respects the ma- 
terials of its composition, the materials that were mixed with 
the wine ; for sometimes the wine was mixed with simple 
water or milk. Hence it is said in Isa. i, 22, " Thy silver 
is become dross ; thy wine mixed with ivater^ And hence 
the Bridegroom of the church says, in Cant, v, 1 : — "I have 
drunk my wine ivith my milkJ'^ Wine prepared in this man- 
ner must have been more harmless, because less inebriating 
than wine in its pure state ; and it appears to have been de- 
signed for quenching thirst, and for mere bodily refreshment. 
But what is commonly meant by mixed wine in the scrip- 
tures, is wine made stronger, and far more intoxicating, 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 265 

than it was in its natural and unadulterated state ; and this 
last is the sort of wine that we find mentioned in the follow* 
ing passages of scripture, viz : Prov. xxiii, 29, 30 — " Who 
hath woe ] who hath sorrow ? who hath contentions 1 who 
hath babbling ? who hath wounds without cause 1 who hath 
redness of eyes 1 They that tarry long at the wine ; they 
that go to seek mixed ivine.^^ Isa. v, 22 — " Woe unto them 
that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength, to min- 
gle strong drink.^^ This mixed wine was a composition, 
consisting of the simple wine, or pure juice of the grape. 
mixed with foreij^a substances, such as stimulating and in- 
toxicating drugs, &c. " It is remarkable, (says Bishop 
Lowth), that whereas the Greeks and Latins, by mixed ivine^ 
always understand wine diluted and lowered with water, the 
Hebrews, on the contrary, generally mean by it, wine made 
stronger and more intoxicating, by the addition of higher 
and more powerful ingredients, such as honey, spices — 
myrrh, mandragora, opiates, and other strong drugs. Such 
were the exhilarating, or rather stupifying ingredients, which 
Helen mixed in the bowl, together with the wine, for her 
guests, oppressed with grief, to raise their spirits, the com- 
position of which she had learned in Egypt. Such was the 
spiced ivine mentioned in Solomon's Song, viii, 2. And how 
much the eastern people, to this day, deal in artificial liquors 
of prodigious strength, the use of wine being forbidden, may 
be seen in a curious chapter of Kempfer on that subject." 
So much for the nature of the wine mentioned in the holy 
scriptures. But beside the pure, and the adulterated wine, 
manufactured and used in Palestine, the Hebrews some- 
times indulged themselves in the use of other stimulating, 
and, at the same time, far more intoxicating drinks. In 
what manner exactly they were prepared, we do not know ; 
but they were all comprehended under the general appella- 
tion SHEKHAR, i. e. strong drink. Of these we know but 
little, except that they were more powerful and intoxicating 
than the mere wine was ; as, indeed, its very name imports^ 
and as the efiects that were produced by it clearly show. 
(Isa. xxviii, 7.) The way is now prepared to inquire — 

2d. In what hght are these liquors considered in the 
scriptures, and how far did God permit the use of them te 

23 



266 CRITICAL ANB 

his people of old? That this is a question of great practicd 
importance, will be admitted, of course, by all those who 
believe that the ivill of God, as expressed in his word, is the 
paramount rule of duty for mankind. If we can ascertaiu 
what that will is in resp6ct to this subject, we ought to b6 
satisfied. The question here is not, what was the practice 
of many of the Hebrews in this matter. There were drunk- 
ards among them, (Isa. xxviii, 1), as well as among other 
people. If we now find intemperate men, even among 
those whose appropriate business it is to occupy the sacred 
desk, it is "no new thing undfer the sun,;" for the same 
" hath been already of old time," as appears from Isa. xxviii^ ! 
7. But the question is, how did God view this subject, and 
how far did he allow his people to use the afore-mentioned 
liquors 1 This question may be answered, and the point set- 
tled at once, so far as respects the pure wine, the simple 
juice of the grape. Even that might be drank, and some- 
times was drank to excess, and to a degree involving much 
criminality, as we see in the case of Noah, (Gen. ix, 21), 
and of Nabal, (1 Sam. xxv, 36.) But that the moderate 
and temperate use of it was lawful and right, there can be 
no reasonable question. The scriptures never condemn 
such a use of this sort of wine. But whenever they con- 
demn the use of this sort of wine at all, it is always when it 
is used to excess, and so as to produce either total or partial 
intoxication. In the second chapter of John's Gospel, we 
have an account of Jesus attending a marriage feast in Cana 
of Galilee, and of his there turning the v/aterinto wine, ex- 
pressly for the purpose of supplying the guests with wine on 
that occasion ; which, surely, he would not have done, if 
the moderate drinking of that liquid had been sinful. Nay, 
further, wine of this sort, or a small quantity of it, was used 
in the solemn religious services and sacrifices of the Jews, 
particularly at the morning and evening sacrifice. (Ex. xxix, I 
40, 41.) And besides, when the Lord's supper was insti- 
tuted, our Saviour made use of this sort of wine, this '' fruit 
of the vine," as one of the elements in that holy ordinance. 
It is impossible to account for the two last mentioned facts 
in any other way than this, viz : that there was nothing un- 
clean in the sight of Goo, in the nature of this sort of wine, 



EXPLANATORY KOTES. 267 

in itself, and nothing wrong in the moderate drinking of it. 
Accordingly, it appears from the tenor of both the Old and 
the New Testament scriptures, that people did in fact, to a 
great extent, make use of this sort of wine, without any tp- 
prehension that they were doing wrong thereby, except as 
they might drink it to excess. In a word, so far as the 
question respects wine of this sort, the point is settled, and 
there is no room for debate. But mixed wine, of the species 
last mentioned above, i. e. wine mixed with stimulating and 
intoxicating drugs, and which, of course, partook far more 
of the nature of our distilled spirits, than the pure wine of 
the Hebrews did, is far from being viewed in the same point 
of light in the scriptures. They never speak of it with ap- 
probation. They give no license, either for the drinking, or 
for the making of it. In the imagery employed by the sa- 
cred writers, this mixed wine is no where used as a symbol 
of good, or of spiritual blessings, as the pure wine sometimes 
is. (Isa. Iv, 1 : Mat. xxvi, 29.) On the contrary, it is allu- 
ded to by the Psalmist, as a symbol of Goo's holy wrath, 
and of that punishment which he will inflict on his enemies. 
"For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine 
is red ; it is full of mixture ; and he poureth out of the 
same ; but the dregs thereof, (the sediment, the worst and 
most intoxicating of the whole), alkthe wicked of the earth 
shall wring them out, and shall drink them." (Ps. Ixxv, 8.) 
But in what light do the scriptures view strong drink, and 
do they allow the use of it in any circumstances ? I answer, 
God did permit the Jews to use this, as well as wine, in 
some circumstances. It was allowed as a medicine. Ac- 
cordingly, we read, Prov. xxxi, 6 — " Give strong drink un- 
to him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be 
of heavy hearts." There was also another case, in which 
God permitted the use of strong drink. It is mentioned in 
the 14th chapter of Deuteronomy. The Jews were there 
directed to take the tithe of all the productions of their fields, 
of their corn, of their wine, and of their oil, together with 
the firstlings of their herds, and of their flocks, and bring it 
to the place, which the Lord their God should choose to set 
his name there. But if that place should prove to be so far 
4isteiQtj that they could not carry the tithe there in kind, then 



268 CRITICAL AND 



^ 



they were allowed to turn that tithe into money, and to go 
with that to the place, which the Lord should choose. And 
then it- is said, verse 26, " And thou shalt bestow that money 
for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, 
or for wine, or for strong drink, (Heb. shekhar), or for 
whatsoever thy soul desireth ; and thou shalt there eat be- 
fore the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy 
household." But the manner in which the scriptures com-, 
monly speak of strong drink, is that of decided and unqua- 
lified disapprobation. (See, as specimens, Prov. xxxi, 4, 6; 
Isa. V, 11, 22 ; xxiv, 9 ; Ivi, 12.) It may be added, uni'^ 
formly do they speak of it in this manner, when they refer to: 
the habitual use of it.-^Hitherto our investigation has been 
confined to the Old Testament. If now, we examine the 
New Testament, we shall find that its decisions relative to 
this subject are the same, substantially, with those of the 
Old. The Apostle says to Timothy, in the 5th chapter and 
23d verse of his first epistle, " Drink no longer water ; but 
use a little wine for thy stomach^s sake, and thine often in-- 
firmitiesJ'^ Here, then, the use of wine is expressly allow- 
ed, (as that of strong drink formerly had been, Prov. xxxi, 
6), in case of bodily indisposition and infirmity ; or, in other 
words, as a medicine. Besides, it does not appear, that the 
New Testament writers- ever forbade absolutely the use of 
wine, even in common cases. Though the apostles condemn 
ail intemperate drinking, (Eph. v, 18 : 1 Pet. iv, 3) ; and 
pronounce all drunkards (continuing such) excluded from 
the kingdom of heaven, (Gal. v, 21 : 1 Cor. vi, 9) ; yet no 
where do they prohibit the moderate and temperate drinking 
of wine, even in common circumstances. Paul says in Ro- 
mans xiv, 21, '' It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink 
wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is of- 
fended, or is made weak." But here was a special case. 
The apostle refers in the context to the prejudices of some 
weak brethren. He declares in verse 14, " I know, and 
am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing un- 
clean of itself;" and in verse 20, *' All things indeed are 
pure." But notwithstanding this, if the drinking of wine 
should prove injurious to the spiritual interests of a christian 
brother, the law of love irequired that it shoxild be wholly 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 26t 

abandoned. But this rather implies, that in ordinary cases 
the drinking, i. e. the temperate drinking of wine, was not 
unlawful. Our Lord Jesus Christ warned his disciples 
against being overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, 
&c. (Luke xxi, 34) ; but no where does he positively and 
absolutely forbid their using wine. And it is probable, that 
Jesus himself, and his apostles, did sometimes make use of 
such wine as was then manufactured in Judea. There 
seems to be but little reference in the New Testament to 
those strong drinks, which are mentioned in the Old. Per- 
haps they had, in a great measure, grown out of use, and 
out of credit. In one case, indeed, the mixed or mingled 
wine is mentioned. It is that of our Saviour, when hanging 
on the cross. Matthew says, in chapter xxvii, 34, " They 
gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall." Mark says, 
in chapter xv, 23, "And they gave him to drink wine, min- 
gled with myrrh." One says, it was vinegar, mingled with 
gall ; the other says, it was wine, mingled with myrrh. The 
truth undoubtedly is, it was sour wine, mingled or steeped 
with bitter myrrh. It appears from ancient records, that it 
was a custom among both Jews and Romans, to administer 
such a preparation to those whom they had adjudged to ca- 
pital punishment, just before they suffered, with the view to 
alleviate their sufferings. But when we read of wine in the 
New Testament, we are usually to understand by it, " the 
fruit of the vine ;" the same sort of wine that was so abun- 
dantly manufactured, and sS generally used, in Palestine. 
It is evident, therefore, that the wine then used was a very 
different thing from ours, and far less intoxicating. And 
hence, we may see how futile is the plea, frequently made 
in favor of modern wine, as an article of luxury and of daily 
use, drawn from the fact, that the Jews were permitted to 
drink wine. The whole strength of such reasoning depends 
upon a false assumption, viz. that the wine in both cases 
was the same ; which, it is certain, was very far from being 
the case. The truth is, neither distilled spirits, nor modern 
wines, ought ever to be used in this manner. They should 
be used as a medicine only, in the broad sense of the phrase, 
i. e. either for curing or preventing bodily disease. Such, 
I am satisfied, is the conclusion to which a scriptural view 
23* 



270 CRITICAL AND 

of this subject will conduct us. Let the friends of temper- 
ance, then, take courage, and not only continue, but increase 
their efforts. The use which has been, and still is made of, 
ardent spirits, by thousands of people in our land, is not on- 
ly a great sin in itself; but has doubtless proved, either di- 
rectly or indirectly, the cause of other sins and miseries, far 
more than any other vice whatever. Friends of temperance : 
^^ Be ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak;. 
for your work shall be rewarded." (2 Chron. xv, 7.) 

Chap, xxiv, 9. 

'^ The thought of foolishness is sin." 

There is a difference between evil thoughts, and thoughts 
of evil. We not only may, but ought to think of our evil 
ways, and of our doings that have not been good, that we 
may '^^ loathe ourselves in our own sight, for our iniquities, 
and for our abominations." (Ezek. xxxvi, 31.) The mean- 
ing of the clause before us is, that then are our thoughts of 
moral foolishness sin, when they include an approbation of 
such foolishness or wickedness, and a desire and design to 
commit it. Can we then say, " I hate vain thoughts ; but 
thy law do I level" (Ps. cxix, 113.) 



ECCLESIASTES. 



Chapter ix, Yerse 1. 

<' No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is be- 
fore him." 

The sense of this scripture is, that no man can know cer- 
tainly what his moyal character in the sight of Heaven is, 
merely from the outward events which befall him, in the 
course of divine providence. If he be prospered in worldly 
things, this is no evidence that he is the object of Jehovah's 
complacential lovci If, on the other hand, he be " vexed 
with all adversity," he ought not hence, or from this circum- 
stance merely, to conclude that he is certainly in the number 
of those " whom the Lord abhorreth." In respect to out- 
ward events, it may be said in the language of the wise 
mao, " all things come alike to all." But though our moral 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 271 

characters cannot be learned /rom them, they may be learned 
tvith them, or by them — by the help of them, and from the 
manner, the temper ofmindf with which we meet the smiles 
and the frowns of Providence. How important, then, is self- 
examination in this view ! 



ISAIAH. 

Chapter xiv, Yerses 3 — 23. 
''And it shall come to pass, in the day that the Lord 
shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and 
from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve ; 
that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Ba- 
bylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased 1 the golden, 
city ceased ! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, 
and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in 
wrath, with a continual stroke ; he that ruled the nations in, 
anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth 
is at rest, and is quiet ; they break forth into singing. Yea, 
the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, say- 
ing. Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against 
us. Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at 
thy coming : It stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the 
chief ones of the earth ; it hath raised up from their thrones 
all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak, and say 
unto thee. Art thou also become weak as we 1 art thou be- 
come like unto us 1 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, 
and the noise of thy viols : The worm is spread under thee, 
and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from hea- 
ven, Lucifer, son of the morning ! How art thou cut down 
to the ground, which didst weaken the nations ! For thou 
hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven ; I will 
exalt my throne above the stars of God ; I will sit also upon 
the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north ; I 
will ascend above the heights of the clouds ; I will be like 
the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, 
to the sides of the pit. They that see thee, shall narrowly 
look upon thee, and consider thee, saying. Is this the man 
that made the earth to tremble ; that did shake kingdoms ; 



272 CRITICAL AND 

that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities 
thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners'? All 
the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every 
one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave, 
like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that 
are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the 
stones of the pit ; as a carcass trodden under feet. Thou 
shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast 
destroyed thy land, and slain thy people. The seed of evil- 
doers shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his 
children, for the iniquity of their fathers, that they do not 
rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with 
cities. For I will rise up against them, sakh the Lord of 
hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and 
son, and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a 
possession for the bittern, and pools of water ; and I will 
sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of 
hosts." 

One object I have had ia view in this work has been, to 
illustrate the genuine beauty and force of several passages 
of scripture. And I know not how to accomplish this ob- 
ject so well, in reference to the paragraph just quoted, as 
by quoting the remarks of Bishop Lowth, who is universally 
allowed to have been a good judge, in respect to such mat- 
ters as are here presented to our view. His remarks are as 
follows : — "A chorus of Jews is first introduced, expressing 
their surprise and astonishment at the sudden downfall of 
Babylon, and its oppressive tyrant. The harrassed king- 
doms, or their rulers, denoted by the fir-trees and cedars of 
Lebanon, shout with joy, and the whole earth and its pro- 
ductions raise their voice along with them, over the fallen 
tyrant, and vaunt of their security, now he is no more. — 
The scene is then changed, (9), and a new set of persons 
introduced : The regions of the dead are laid open, and 
Hades is represented as rousing up the shades of the de- 
parted monarchs. They rise from their thrones, to meet 
the king of Babylon, on his arrival, and insult him, on his 
being reduced to the same abject condition with themselves. 
This is one of the boldest figures ever attempted in poetry, 
and is executed with astonishing brevity, perspicuity, and 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 273 

force. You are to form to yourself an idea of an immense 
subterraneous vault, a vast gloomy cavern, all around the 
sides of which there are cells, (in the manner of the Jewish 
sepulchres), to receive the dead bodies. Here the deceased 
monarchs lie in a distbiguished sort of state, suitable to their 
former rank, each on his own couch, with his arms beside 
him, and his chiefs around him. These illustrious shades 
?ise at once from their couches, and advance to the entrance 
of the cavern, to meet the king of Babylon, and to insult 
him in his fall. — The Jews now resume the speech, (12) ; 
they address the king of Babylon as the morning star, fallen 
from heaven ; the first in splendor and dignity, fallen from 
his high state. They introduce him as uttering the most 
extravagant vaunts of his power and ambitious designs in 
his former glory, which are strongly contrasted in the close 
with this present low condition. — Immediately fellows a 
different scene, happily imagined, to diversify the same sub- 
ject. Certain persons are introduced, who light upon the 
corpse of the king of Babylon, cast out, and lying naked on 
the bare ground ; so disfigured among the common slain, 
that it is some time before they know him. They accost 
him with the severest taunts ; bitterly reproach him with his 
destructive ambition, which brought upon him so ignomini^ 
ous an end ; and leave him, with execrating his name, race, 
and posterity. — To complete the whole, God is introduced, 
(21), declaring the fate of Babylon ; the utter extirpation of 
the royal family, and the total desolation of the city ; the de- 
liverance of his people, and the destruction of his enemies ; 
confirming the irreversible decree by the awful sanction of his 
oath. — The images of this ode are so various, so numerous, 
and so sublime ; expressed with such force, in such elevated 
words, figures, and sentences, that it is impossible to con- 
ceive any thing of the kind more perfect. We hear the 
Jews, the cedars of Lebanon, the king of Babylon, the 
ghosts of departed monarchs, and those who find the king's 
corpse, and even God himself, speaking ; and we behold 
each of them acting his respective part, as it were in some 
well-cast drama. The persons are numerous, and rot con- 
fused ; bold, but not extravagant. A noble, sublime, and 
truly divine spirit, glows in every sentence ; nothing can be 



274 CRITICAL AND 

found deficient ; nothing redundant. — In a word, for beauty 
of disposition, strength of colouring, greatness of sentiment, 
brevity, perspicuity, and force of expression, this ode of 
Isaiah stands among all the monuments of antiquity unri* 
vailed." 

Chap, xix, 1. 

" Behold the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall 
come into Egypt ; and the idols of Egypt shall be moved 
at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the 
midst of it." 

From what follows in this chapter, it appears, that this 
passage may have some reference to those invasions, and to 
the effects of those terrible invasions, on Egypt, which were 
afterward made by Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Camby- 
ses, and Alexander, in succession. Bishop Lowth thinks 
it may refer to them all. But this prediction is applicable 
to, and received a still more literal and signal fulfilment; on 
another occasion. It should be remembered that the Egyp- 
tians were very superstitious, and worshipped numerous 
idols. Among the rest, two were universally adored. These 
were Osiris and Isis, which are supposed to have been the 
sun and the moon. But beside these, they worshipped a 
great number of beasts ; such as the ox, dog, wolf, hawk, 
crocodile, stork, cat, &c. ; and ascribed divinity even to the 
pulse and roots in their gardens. Of all the brute animals, 
to which the Egyptians paid religious adoration, the bull 
Apis was the most famous, and the most devoutly worship- 
ped. Magnificent temples were erected to him, and when 
he died, Egypt went into a general mourning. The funeral 
parade at the burial of this animal cost eleven thousand 
pounds sterling. These are the facts, as stated in Rollings 
ancient history. Now, both Eusebius and Athanasius re- 
late, that when Joseph and Mary, with the child Jesus, fled 
into Egypt, (Mat. ii, 24), and took up their abode in Her- 
mopolis, where was the temple of Serapis ; and when they 
three had gone into that temple, immediately their great idol, 
and the dii minores, i. e. the smaller deities of the temple, 
fell prostrate before them. (See Burder's Customs, p. 181.) 
Thug their idols were moved at the presence of the Lord Je^. 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 27S 

guS. And to this remarkable event this passage may more 
immediately refer. 

Chap, xlv, 1 — 7. 

" Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose 
right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him ; and 
I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two 
leaved gates ; and the gates shall not be shut : I will go be- 
fore thee, and make the crooked places straight : I will 
break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the 
bars of iron ; and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, 
and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know 
that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God 
of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel, mine 
elect, I have even called thee by thy name : I have surnam- 
ed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the Lordj 
and there is none else ; there is no God besides me : I gird- 
ed thee, though thou hast not known me : That they may 
know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that 
there is none besides me : I am the Lord, and there is none 
else. I form the light, and create darkness : I make peace, 
and create evil : I, the Lord, do all these things." 

It is for the sake of this last verse, chiefly, that I have in- 
troduced this whole paragraph. But as the preceding verses 
relative to Cyrus, have in them something very remarkable ; 
as an illustration of them cannot fail of being interesting to 
the reader, and may at the same time prepare the way for 
the explanation of this seventh verse ; I shall in the first 
place devote some time and labor to them. Cyrus, the per- 
sonage here addressed, rnd called by name, was the son of 
Cambyses, king of Persia, and of Mandana, daughter of 
Astyages, king of Media. Though, for a heathen, remark- 
ably humane and amiable in his disposition, he was at the 
same time formidable in arms, and almost always successful 
in his military expeditions. In the early part of his life, he 
signalised himself, by compelling Armenia to pay to Media 
her promised, but afterwards refused tribute ; by taking Sar- 
dis, capital of Lydia ; and by routing and overthrowing, 
with an army of one hundred and ninety-six thousand mcDj 
the army of Crcesus, consisting of four hundred and twenty 
thousand. But his most glorious exploit was still to be 



276 CRITICAL AND 

achieved. In the counsels of Heaven it was ordained that 
he should be the instrument of carrying desolation into the 
very heart of that nation, by whom the chosen people of 
God had been so constantly hated, and so frequently distress- 
ed. And He '«'^'ho " calleth things that be not, as though 
they were," here calleth upon him by name, nearly two hun- 
dred years before he was born, and commissioneth him, as 
his anointed one, to execute the purposes of his indignation 
against Babylon. And here let us pause for a moment, and 
reflect how improbable, in a human view, it was, that " Ba- 
bylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' 
excellency," (chap, xiii, 9), could ever be taken by any hu- 
man stratagem or power ! According to Rollin, this city had 
been of very long standing ; for it was founded by Nimrod, 
the great-grandson of Noah, two thousand six hundred and 
forty years before Christ. By the daily influx of the treas- 
ures of the east through the river Euphrates, which ran un- 
der its walls, and by the continual increase of inhabitants, it 
had become irijmensely rich and populous. It was sur- 
rounded by a wall three hundred and fifty feet high, and 
eighty-seven feet in width. This wall inclosed the city in 
the form of an exact square ; and each side of the square 
was fifteen miles in length. On each of these sides were 
twenty-five brazen gates. Hence the meaning of the ex- 
pressions, "opening before him (Cyrus) the two-leaved 
gates, and breaking in pieces the gates of brass." In a 
word, this city had become, as it were, the metropolis of the 
world, and seemed to bid defiance to any power short of om- 
nipotence. But before Cyrus, whose right hand the Lord 
had holden, to subdue nations before him, this great moun- 
tain was soon to be made a plain. However formidable and 
invincible it was in a human view, Herodotus and Xeno- 
phon, two authentic historians, inform us of its capture, and 
of the means by which it was accomplished. Their relation 
is to this amount : — Cyrus, in view of the city, despaired of 
taking it by siege or storm, and resolved to make the at- 
tempt by stratagem. Accordingly, on a certain night, when 
king Belshazzar with his lords was holding a great feast, 
he diverted the course of the river Euphrates into a channel, 
which had been previously cut by the kings of Babylon, to 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 277 

Ireceive its waters in times of inundation. He then imme- 
diately marched up with his army, on the dry bed of the old 
channel, under the walls, and thus became master of the 
city at once, and without difficulty. These same historians 
further inform us, that after Cyrus and his army had actual- 
ly gotten into the dry bed of the river, they might have been 
taken there as in a net, if the brazen gates, which conduct- 
ed from the streets to the river, had not that night been pro- 
videntially left open. But in consequence of revelling and 
intoxication, the infatuated people had forgotten or neglect- 
ed to shut them. The unexpected appearance of the Per- 
sian army in their capital, filled the minds of the Babyloni- 
ans with alarm and terror, and immediately excited such a 
tumult, that the gates of the royal palace were by the king's 
order opened, to inquire into the cause of the great disturb- 
ance : And thus, by a wonderful management of Providence, 
was the way immediately prepared for Cyrus to take Bel- 
shazzar himself, and all his lords, prisoners ; which he ac- 
cordingly did. The same night was Belshazzar put to 
death. (Dan. v, 30.) With what wonderful precision, there- 
fore, was the prediction fulfilled, " I will loose the loins of 
kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates ; and the 
gates shall not be shut." No less precise and wonderful 
was the prediction in verse 3d, viz : " I will give thee the 
treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places." 
For the before-mentioned historians affirm, that the treasures 
which Cyrus found in Babylon, and in Sardis, amounted to 
one hundred and twenty-six millions two hundred and twen- 
ty-four thousand pounds, of our money. But with all the 
good properties which Xenophon, his biographer, ascribes 
to this prince, he was ignorant^ hitherto, of the true charac- 
ter of that God, by whose almighty power his right hand 
had been holden, and whose purposes he had been accom- 
plishing, in his enterprises and conquests. The words in 
verses 4th and 5th, " Thou hast not known me," necessi- 
tate the unwelcome conviction, that this same Cyrus was, 
during the time of his victorious career, a stranger to the 
'God of Israel. Jupiter had hitherto been the god, to whom 
he looked for protection : And hence, when he was going 
to fight Croesus, hearing a clap of thunder on the right, he 

24 



278 CRITICAL AND 

cried out, " Sovereign Jupiter, we follow thee." But from 
verse 3, "And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, 
and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know 
that /, the Lord, lohich call thee hy thy name, am the God 
of Israel,^ it seems that the Lord's design, in what he was 
to do for him, and by him, was to bring him ultimately to the 
knowledge of himself. And that Cyrus did afterwards be- 
come acquainted, in some measure, with the God of Israel, 
is evident from his proclamation for the return of the Jews, 
which is recorded in the 1st chapter of Ezra. See his ac- 
knowledgment in verse 3, "ile is the God." — In view of the 
preceding remarks, we are now the better prepared to un- 
derstand what is mpant by the 7th verse, viz : "I form the 
light, and create darkness : I make peace, and create evil : 
I, the Lord, do all these things." It must be remembered, 
that Cyrus himself was a Persian. The doctrine of the 
Magi, who were the moral and religious instructors of the 
Persians, was, that there were two co-eternal and supreme 
beings ; one, the author of all good ; the other, the author 
of all evil. The terms light, darkness, peace, evil, are ge- 
neric, and very comprehensive ; denoting moral good, and 
natural good, moral evil, and natural evil ; denoting, in a 
word, good and evil of all kinds. The truth of this remark 
might be shown at large, by a reference to numerous passa- 
ges of scripture, where these terms are used ; and all who 
have read the sacred volume with any due degree of care 
and attention, know it to be a fact. Now, the direct and 
principal design of this declaration of Jehovah to Cyrus^ 
spears to have been, to rejute the above mentioned doc- 
trine ; a doctrine, in the belief of which that prince had been 
educated ; and to show, in opposition to the prevailing sen- 
timent of his countrymen, that there was only one supreme 
Being, (and evidently, in strict propriety, only one can be 
supreme) ; that light and darkness were alike formed, and 
peace and evil alike created, by Him alone. This truth 
had been, in substance, asserted before, in verses 5th and 
6th, viz : *' I am the Lord, and there is none else ; there is 
no God besides me : That they may know from the rising 
of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides 
me. I am the Lord, and there is none else." But the sen- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 279 

iiment is here repeated in another form, and with some am- 
plification. When, however, it is added, " I, the Lord, do 
all these things," we are not to suppose that he doth evil in 
the usual sense of the terms. For, whatever may be the 
agency of God, in either natural or moral evil, it cannot 
arise from any evil design ; nor can it ever be exercised in 
any manner that is inconsistent with perfect benevolence, 
au4 spotless moral purity. " Far be it from God, (says 
Elihu), that he should do wickedness, and from the Al- 
mighty, that he should commit iniquity." Doing wicked- 
ness, and committing iniquity, signify the same thing ; but 
to impute either of these to our Creator, in the usual sense 
of such expressions, is evident blasphemy. And here I can- 
not but remark, that great caution is necessary for ministers, 
whenever they discuss the subject of divine agency in sin. 
The first of all inquiries should be, what idea did the Jeivs 
attach to such phraseology ? If we can only ascertain this, 
we may know what God meant by it ; for, doubtless, in the 
communications he made to that people, he used language 
in the sense in which they understood it. The general im- 
port of this declaration of Jehovah to Cyrus is, that there are 
not tivo supreme beings, as Cyrus and his countrymen had 
been taught, and had believed ; but that He only hath su- 
preme control, and that all events are directed and deter- 
mined by his providential agency. 

Chap, liii, 3. 
-"And we hid, as it were, our faces from him ;" or 



thus, " he hid, as it were, his face from us." 

In the Hebrew, the word translated " we hid," is what 
we should call in English, an active participle of the singu- 
lar number ; and the pronoun, or final word, of the clause, 
is, in that language, in the first person plural. Accordingly, 
Bishop Lowth, who, with all the best commentators, refers 
the clause to Christ, translates it thus : "As one thathideth 
his face from us." The meaning of the declaration, that 
Jesus Christ, in his last sufferings, hid, or rather of the pre- 
diction, that he would then hide his face from us, must be, 
either that he then had or would have his human face, as k 
were, Qovered, and thus hid^ in token of his bearing our 



280 CRITICAL AND 

guilt, (according to the prescriptions of the law); or that he 
then veiled, or would veil, conceal, hide his divine glory 
from us. Either of these versions is admissible ; and each 
conveys a most important truth. 

Verse 8. 
** He was taken from prison, and from judgment." 
If the word prison must be retained in our version, som©' 
other meaning than the common one should, evidently, be 
annexed to it. For in what prison was our Lord ever con- 
fined, and from what one was he ever taken 1 We read, that 
the apostles were imprisoned, (Acts v, 18), and that Peter' 
was put in prison, (Acts xii, 4); but no where in the history 
of Jesus Christ, as written by the evangelists, do we read o€' 
any such thing respecting him. The Hebrew word render- ; 
ed " from prison," is a noun derived from a verb, which sig- 
nifies, to restrain, to detain, to rule. As here used, it must 
denote civil magistracy, i. e. Pilate's tribunal or court, be- 
fore which Jesus was tried, and by which judgment or sen- 
tence of death was passed upon him. In that sort of prison, 
in Pilate's "judgment-hall," Jesus was indeed confined, or 
rather detained a short time, possibly a few hours ; and 
thence was he '' taken, '^ and by virtue of Pilate's judgment, 
or judicial sentence, led to execution. Bishop Lowth, Ie 
his new translation of Isaiah, renders the passage thus :-— 
" By an oppressive judgment, he was taken off*." 



JEREMIAH. 

Chapter hi. Verse 2.. 

" In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in 
the wilderness." 

For the illustration of this passage, the following remarks 
from Sir J. Chardin, relative to the modern practice of the 
Arabs, are in point, viz : — '' Thus the Arabs wait for cara- 
vans with the most violent avidity, looking about them on 
all sides, raising themselves up on their horses, running 
here and th^re, to see if they cannot perceive any smoke or 
dust, or tracks on the ground, or any other marks of people 



feXPLANATORt NOTES. 281 

passing along." What a striking coincidence does the 
above quotation show, between the ancient and modern 
practices of the descendants of Ishmael ! Always has their 
hand been against every man ; and, consequently, every 
man's hand has been against them. 

Chap, xx, 7. 
^' Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived." 
Witsius and Hemy render it thus, * Thou hast persuaded 
me, and I was persuaded.' Patah, the Hebrew word here 
used, signifies in Chaldee, to enlarge ; but in Hebrew, to 
persuade, to allure, to entice, whether to good or evil. 
Scott's interpretation is to this purpose ; that the Lord, by 
his promises, (chap, i, 8, 18), had allured him to undertake 
the prophetical office ; but now he was disappointed, in re- 
gard to the credit and comfort he had expected. And from 
the connection, (see from verse 7 to 11), it seems that such 
was the sentiment which the prophet intended to express. 
At any rate, this text is of no force to support the doctrine, 
into the service of which it has sometimes been pressed, 
viz. that there is a direct positive agency of God in sin. It 
docs not relate at all to that doctrine, but simply to the 
prophet's undertaking his appropriate office, and to the 
events which followed. 



HOSEA. 

Chapter v, VePvSE 11. 

<' Ephraim is oppressed, and broken in judgment, because 
he willingly walked after the commandment." 

Repeatedly has this passage been proposed to the author 
for explanation. At first, indeed, it seems attended with 
some difficulty. The proposition, that Ephraim is oppress- 
ed, and broken in judgment, we easily understand. We 
know what is meant by the sentence : Nor do those who 
have examined the history of the ten tribes, experience any 
more difficulty in seeing the truths than they do in under- 
standing the meaning, of this proposition. All the difficulty 
lies in seeing how they should be thus oppressed, and bro- 
24* 



282 CRITICAL ANI> 



1 



ken, and afflicted, for the reason here specified, viz. because 
they willingly walked after the commandment. But by the 
commandment here, we are not to understand the command- 
ment of God ; as though that people had been so sorely 
chastised, because they had walked, willingly walked, after 
his commandments. But what is meant by the command- 
ment here, is the commandment of Jeroboam, to worship 
his idols, his calves in Bethel and Dan. Because they wil- 
lingly obeyed the command cf him, who sought to drive 
them from following the Lord, willingly followed after and 
worshipped his senseless idols ; therefore, Jehovah punish- 
ed them, in permitting them to be sorely oppressed by their 
own rulers, and in exposing them to the attacks and ravages 
of hostile invaders. 



JONAH. 

Chapter hi. Verse 10. 

" And God saw their works, that they turned from their 
evil way ; and God repented of the evil that he had said that 
he would do unto them ; and he did it not." 

Many readers have experienced difficulty from this text, 
and from a few other similar ones in the Bible, in which 
God is said to have repented. But yery few, perhaps none, 
are so absurd in their views, as to suppose that God ever 
repents, or is morally capable of repenting altogether, in the 
same sense in which sinners, as such, are required to repent. 
Repentance, as existing in them, is connected with " godly 
sorrow" for sin, ior personal sin, for their own sin ; with that 
godly sorrow which worketh a salutary reformation, and 
which includes self-condemnation, (Job xlii, 6 : Lev. xxvi, 
41 : Ezek. xx, 43), and fixed resolutions for future amend- 
ment. (2 Cor. vii, 11.) But of such a repentance as this 
God must be absolutely incapable, because he has no sin to 
repent of, or to be sorry for ; and because, even if he had, 
any thing like proper sorrow, either in view of what he has 
ever been, or has ever done, would be absolutely incompa- 
tible with that infinite blessedness, which belongs to him. 
And there are but very few, if any, who suppose that re- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES* 28B- 

pentance of this kind is intended, in those places where Goi> 
is said to repent. The difficulty in question is not owing 
to any such supposition as this. But the difficulty, with ma- 
ny persons, arises from another source. If God ever re- 
pents, say they, then he must, for aught we can see, be 
weak, unstable, and mutable, and must actually change in 
his views, feelings, and purposes. But this would be incon- 
sistent with numerous other passages of scripture, which de- 
clare the contrary ; and, also, with that absolute and infi- 
nite perfection which both reason and revelation attribute to 
him. They seem to understand repentance, when ascribed 
to God, as denoting some change in his feelings, and views, 
and purposes, in some such sense as the term does, when 
applied to men. Hence arises the difficulty they feel in re- 
lation to this subject ; for they have been accustomed to 
view God in a very different light ; even as that Being with 
whom there is no variableijess, neither shadow of turning. 
(James i, 17.) At the same time they allow, that something 
must be meant by such passages. But, 'What do they 
mean?' is the question that has frequently been proposed to 
myself, and, undoubtedly, to many other ministers also. — 
In reply, it may be observed in general, such passages are 
to be interpreted not literally, hut figuratively. Much that 
is said in scripture about God, is clearly to be understood 
in the figurative sense only. This is certainly true of the 
following passages : — Prov. xv, 3 — '' The eyes of the Lord 
are in every place. ^' (See also Deut. xi, 12 : 1 Sam. xxvi, 
24 : Amos ik, 8.) James v, 4 — " The cries of them which 
have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Saba- 
oth." (See also Num. xi, 18 : 2 Sam. xxii, 7 : Ps. xxxivj. 
15.) Isa. xlv, 12 — "I, even my hands, have stretched out 
the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." (See 
also verse 11 ; xlix, 16 : Job x, 3.) Psalm xviii, 9 — " He 
bowed the heavens, also, and came down ; and darkness 
was under his feet," (See also Isa. Ix,. 13: Nahum i, 3 : 
Ex. xxiv, 10.) Now, as we are elsewhere assured, that 
*' God is a spirit," (John iv, 24) ; and as " a spirit hath not 
flesh and bones," nor any bodily properties, but is purely an 
immaterial substance, we may be certain that the above 
texts, applied as they are to Jehovah, must be understood 



284 CRITICAL AND 



1 



figuratively, and not in the literal sense. The eyes of a 
man are indicative of his intelligence, or at least of his ca- 
pacity for intelligence, far more than any other part of the 
human frame. And the phrase, eyes of a man, or what is 
equivalent thereto, is sometimes used to denote his actual, 
intellectual discernment, not only in common practice, but 
in the Bible too. (Eph. i, 18.) And hence, in gracious ac- 
commodation to our weakness, "the eyes of the Lord," is 
a phrase used in the scriptures, to denote his intelligence. 
It is remarkable, also, that this expression, as used in the 
scriptures, is frequently joined with other such qualifying 
expressions, as clearly show, that the eyes of the Lord are 
very different from, and infinitely superior to, the eyes of 
men, and of all creatures — such expressions as are, more- 
over, strong proofs of what they would seem, at first view, 
to contradict, viz. his absolute spirituality. For if Jehovah 
has eyes, they are eyes which '* run to and fro through all 
the earth," (2 Chron. xvi, 9); which "are in everyplace,*' 
(Proverbs xv, 3); and to which " all things are naked and 
open," (Heb. iv, 13.) Ears are those bodily organs, with 
which we hear. Now, how could that most comfortable 
truth, that God attends to the groans, the prayers, and sup- 
plications of his people, be made known to us in his word, 
except by such metaphorical language, as is taken from, or 
has some respect to that organ 1 Hence, his thus attending 
to us, is called hearing us. If God speaks to us at all, and 
speaks to vis to any good purpose, as it respects ourselves, 
he must adapt himself to our natures, organised as they are. 
How can God assure us, that he is willing to attend to our 
supplications, more strongly than by telling us that he hath 
an ear to hear, and that " his ear is not heavy, that it cannot 
hear ?" — The hands, the right hand, and more especially 
the arm, and the right arm of a man, are the principal means 
by which he accomplishes his outward operations ; and these 
terms, we know, are frequently used by men in the figura- 
tive sense, as denoting skill, physical strength, power. In 
the same sense are they frequently used in the Bible, when 
applied to God ; as in the following passages : — Joshua ir, 
24 — " That all the people of the earth might know the hand 
of the Lord, that it is mighty." Job xii, 9 — " Who know- 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 2SS 

eth not, in all these things, that the hand of the Lord hath 
wrought this ?" Isa. lix, 1 — " Behold the Lord's hand is 
not shortened, that it cannot save." Ps. cxviii, 15, 16 — 
" The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right 
hand of the Lord is exalted : The right hand of the Lord 
doeth valiantly." Ixxxix, 13 — " Thou hast a mighty arm ; 
strong is thy hand ; and high is thy right hand." In the 
same figurative sense, we are to understand those scrip- 
tures, which speak of God as flying, (Ps. xviii, 10), as sleep- 
ing, (Ps. xliv, 23), and as awaking, (Ps. Ixxviii, 65.) And 
in the same sense, also, must we understand those passa- 
ges, which ascribe repentance unto God. If any should 
ask, how do we know that these passages are to be under- 
stood in the figurative sense ? the answer is, we know it 
from the very nature of the subject. It is a maxim in the 
interpretation of scripture, that passages are to be under^ 
stood literally, unless the nature of the subject, or other 
passages, require a different interpretation ; but if so, then 
they are to be understood differently. Now, both these 
reasons exist in the case before us. The doctrine of the 
Bible is, that God is not spiritual only, but " a spirit,^^ a 
pure spirit. (John iv, 24.) Of course, he has no bodily 
properties. And particularly, so far as respects the subject 
now more immediately before us, numerous other passages 
require, that the term repenting, when applied to God, should 
be understood in the figurative sense only. The Bible ex- 
pressly and frequently declares, that God is unchangeable. 
He is unchangeable in his nature, Ps. cii, 25 — 27 — " Of 
old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth ; and the heav- 
ens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish ; but thou 
shalt endure. Yea, all of them shall wax old like a gar- 
ment ; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall 
be changed : But thou art the same." Here the nature of 
God is declared to be immutable ; and its immutability is 
finely represented, by contrasting it to the mutability and 
perishing nature of this visible universe. — -God is unchange- 
able in his purposes also. The scriptures declare, that he 
is in one mindy and none can turn him ; that his counsel 
stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations i 
$hat he declares the end from the beginning, and from ar*- 



286 CRITICAL AND 

cient times, the things that are not yet done ; saying, mij 
counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. (Job xxiii, 
13 : Ps. xxxiii, 11 : Isa. xlvi, 10.) And it is in reference 
to these, his fixed purposes, that it is repeatedly said in scrip- 
ture, God doth not repent, and will not repent. (Num. xxiii, 
19:1 Sam. xv, 29 : Jer. iv, 28 : Ezek. xxiv, 14.) Thus 
evident it is from the scriptures, that God is unchangeable, 
both in his nature, and in his purposes. It is certain, there- 
fore, that those passages of scripture, which ascribe repent- 
ance to God, are not to be understood in any sense incon- 
sistent with his absolute immutability, in both these respects. 
And, of course, so far as such passages indicate any change 
at all in relation to God, it must be a change external, and 
not a change internal ; a change in the outward dispensa- 
tions of his providence ; not a change, either in his nature, 
or in the purposes of his mind. If changes in providence 
must be considered as so many changes in God, then God 
is continually changing ; because these outward providen- 
ces are continually changing, in one respect or another. 
But the truth is, these changes in providence, in outward 
events, are very far from being changes in God ; nor are 
the former any evidence of the latter. God's outward, pro^ 
Fidfential deahngs with the Israelites in the wilderness, fre- 
quently varied, as their conduct varied, and as they were 
obedient, or disobedient. But his j)wr|)05e respecting them 
remained the same. It was to bring them, or at least their 
children, into the land of Canaan. In the 89th Psalm, God 
declares, that his treatment of the seed of David would vary, 
according to circumstances ; that, in a word, it would be 
according to their own conduct. If, particularly, David's 
children should forsake his law, and walk not in his judg- 
ments ; if they should break his statutes, and keep not his 
commandments ; then He would visit their iniquity with the 
rod, and their transgressions with stripes. But his purpose 
remained the same, in regard both to David and his seed. 
" Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take 
from /im, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." (Verse 33.) 
And again, " His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne 
as the sun, before me." (Verse 36.) God treats his child^ 
ren, as the faithful physician tree^ts his patients, The phy« 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 287 

sician varies his treatment of his patient, according to the 
varying symptoms of the disease ; but all this does not im- 
ply any change in the physician's mind. His purpose uni- 
formly is, to heal the patient, if possible. It is certain, there- 
fore, that those passages which ascribe repentance to God, 
so far as they exhibit any change at all in relation to him, 
denote a change in his outward conduct, in his providential 
dispensations ; not in his mind. And it is evident, that 
some of ihose passages do denote such an outward change ; 
those particularly, M^hich relate to cases where divine threats 
or promises had been previously given. Of the former, the 
case of th^ IHinevites is an example. The threat had been 
given, " Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." 
(iii, 4.) We must suppose that this threat, though express- 
ed with apparent absoluteness, was conditional, so far as 
the divine purpose relative to its execution was concerned. 
This we must suppose from what is said in verse 10 — -"And 
God saw th:'ir works, that they turned from their evil way ; 
and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would 
do unto them ; and he did it not." Now this shows, that 
when God gave the threat, he meant to treat them according 
to their conduct ; that, in a word, he would certainly destroy 
them, if they should not turn from their evil ways, and would 
spare them, if they should thus turn. God's providence 
and his purpose must always agree. In other words, he 
always meant to do just as he does, and always does as he 
meant to do. The truth of this cannot be reasonably ques- 
tioned by any man. Now, God did in fact spare the Nine- 
vites, when they repented ; and, therefore, when he gave 
the threat, he meant so to do, should this condition be com- 
plied with by them, as he undoubtedly foresaw it would be. 
It seems, moreover, that the Ninevites themselves under- 
stood the threat as conditional. It is evident they had some 
hope of being sp r.red, in case of reformation. This appears 
both from what they did, and from what they said. They 
observed a general fast on that occasion, and cried mightily 
unto God, saying, " Who can tell if God will turn and re- 
pent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish 
notl" In short, the meaning of the threat, so far as its ex- 
ecution was concerned, must have been the same with that 



288 CRITICAL AND 

©f Christ'--'^ Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish*" 
(Luke xiii, 3.) It is in this way, that divine threats against 
bodies of men are to be understood, as we learn from Jere- 
miah xviii, 7, 8 — -"At what instant I shall speak concerning 
a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to 
pull down, and to' destroy it : If that nation, against whom 
I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the 
evil that I thought to do unto them." The same condition- 
ality belongs to the promises, also, which are made to such 
a nation or kingdom, as we learn from the two verses next 
succeeding. The same thing is true, also, of divine threats 
against individuals. Of this we have a specimen in Ezekiel 
xxxiii, 14 — "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely 
die." Here the threat is absolute, as to its form. But that 
there was a condition in it, is evident from what immediate- 
ly follows, viz : " If he turn from his wicked way, and do 
that which is lawful and right, ... he shall surely live ; he 
shall not die." But when divine promises or threats are 
said to be conditional, this must always be understood of 
such divine promises or threats, as were not accompanied 
and confirmed by an oath ; for in such a case, God is never 
said to repent. When God has thus sworn by himself, his 
word, which had gone out in righteousness, would not return. 
But no oath is mentioned, as accompanying the threat 
against the Ninevites, and we may be sure there was none. 
Says Bishop Lowth, " Whenever repentance is ascribed to 
God, it must be meant only of a change with respect to the 
outward administrations of his providence, and his dealing 
with men otherwise than he did before." This is true with 
one qualification, viz. when the repentance in question has 
immediate respect to some divine threat or promise^ previous- 
ly given ; for in some places, where repentance is ascribed 
to God, it does not appear that any divine threat or promise 
was particularly in view. The above remark is, however, 
strictly true, in reference to the case now before us, that of 
the Ninevites. When *' God saw their works, that they 
turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil" that he 
had threatened, and he did it not. He no longer threatened 
^em so terribly as he had done, and changed his providen- 
tial dispensations towards them, Iiis outward treatrri^t of 



EXPLANATORY NOTES. 289 

them, and made it very different from what it otherwise 
would have been, i. e. in case they had not repented ; and 
thus he acted as men do when they really change their 
minds, though there was no change in his mind* 



2B 



COJifCLUDIKG REMARKS. 



How far the main object of the present work, as stated in 
the title page, and in the preface, has been accomplished, 
and with what success — i. e. how far the many passages 
commented upon have been explained correctly, and how 
far they have been explained in a manner adapted to the un- 
derstandings of those readers, for whom chiefly this work has 
been designed — must now be left to their judgment, and to 
that of an enlightened christian community. In some cases, 
it will be seen, that the results of my investigations, merely, 
have been given, without stating particularly that process of 
thought which has led to those results. My apology for not 
pursuing a different course in these cases is : — 1st. It did 
not appear to me to be very necessary for common readers ; 
and, 2d. The designed limits of the present work would not 
allow of it. But there is one inquiry, relative to this sub- 
ject, which has frequently arisen in the minds of many, and 
to which it seems proper to pay some attention, in this place. 
The inquiry is this, viz : Why is it that God has left in his 
word so many things that are hard to be understood, or to be 
fully comprehended by the mind of man 1 If the Bible be 
indeed the word of God, and designed for our benefit, why 
is not every thing in it made plain, so that its true import 
may be discerned at once 1 In reply to this inquiry, I would 
offer a few remarks, with the hope, that they may not only 
afford some satisfaction in respect to the point embraced in 
the inquiry itself; but may also give to this whole subject 
more of a practical character and tendency, than could have 
been reasonably expected in the body of the work itself. 

I. One reason of this may be supposed to lie in the neces- 
fity of the case. If God should give to us any revelation at 
all, we might well suppose it would contain eome account 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 291 

o£ himself; of his own being, perfections, and government ; 
of other intelligent beings beside mankind, and superior to 
them, provided such beings exist ; of another state of being, 
to succeed the present one, and of its employments, its du- 
ration, its enjoyments, or miseries, provided these things 
are realities. But these are subjects, the full comprehen- 
sion of which must necessarily be impossible to the Hmited 
mind of man. '' Canst thou by searching find out God? 
Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection 1 It is high 
as heaven, what canst thou do ; deeper than hell, what canst 
thou know] The measure thereof is longer than the earth, 
and broader than the sea." (Job xi, 7.) We know but very 
little even of those worldly objects and things, which we 
profess to understand, and with which we are most familiar. 
But " that which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can 
find it out ?" (Eccl. vii, 24.) The difficulty of our compre- 
hending fully such subjects, must appear peculiarly great, 
when, in connection with the nature of the subjects them- 
selves, we consider the weakness of the human mind, and 
the additional difficulty which it always experiences in refer- 
ence to things of a spiritual and holy nature, arising from 
sin. For in regard to these things, " the understanding is 
darkened, by reason of the blindness of the heart." (Eph. 
iv, 18.) In the very nature and necessity of the case, there- 
fore, we may see one reason for the fact now under consi- 
deration. 

II. Another reason for it may be, that God might thereby 
make trial of men's tempers and dispositions. We know 
that this is the case in regard to providence. Many of God's 
providential dispensations are to us utterly mysterious, and 
hard to be understood, in any way consistent with our pre- 
vious and present views of the divine character. His judg- 
ments are a great deep. We do not, and cannot see, why 
many events and things should be as they are. The diffi- 
culty occasioned even to good men, men of faith, by some 
of the divine providential dispensations in this world, and 
the great perplexity of mind which they sometimes feel, in 
view of them, are represented by Asaph, in the 73d Psalm. . 
Now there are, doubtless, reasons for all this ; and reasons, 
too, which to the Infinite Mind are sufficient for the divine 



292 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

government being as it is, and for events taking place as 
Ihey do ; and which would be satisfactory to us, were the 
eyes of our understanding sufficiently enlightened. And 
even we ourselves are not left in total ignorance, in relation 
to this matter. For though we know but little about these 
reasons, we may, at least, be sure of this, viz : That one 
object God has in view, in such mysterious providential dis- 
pensations, is, to try the temi^ers and dispositions of man- 
kind, and especially the faith of his own children. This is 
expressly declared to have been the object he had in view, 
in his mysterious dealings with the Israelites. *' And thou 
shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led 
thee, these forty years, in the wilderness, to humble thee^ 
and to •prove thee, to know ivhat was in thine heart, whether 
thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." (Deut. viii, 
2, 16.) Of the same nature, as we may well suppose, was 
God's design, in permitting difficulty to attend some parts 
of his word. It would prove a test, by which the tempers 
and characters of men might be tried. It would hence be 
seen, whether they would throw aside the scriptures entirely, 
and have no more concern with them, on account of some 
difficulties which attend them ; even as some persons, who 
have professedly and apparently set out in the way to heav- 
en, have finally relinquished that way, on account of the tri- 
als and practical difficulties they met with in their course. 
Hereby, also, they would be tried, in respect to the search- 
ing of the scriptures ; whether they would search them or 
not, as they are required to do. In the same proportion as 
there are difficulties attending the Bible, is self-denying dili- 
gence, in the use of the appointed means, necessary for the 
understanding of it. That such diligence on our part is a 
duty, (a duty, which, like other duties required of us, would 
eventually bring its own rich reward), is evident from seve- 
ral passages of scripture. (See Prov. ii, 1 — 6 : John v, 39: 
2 Tim. iii, 15.) But the point to be ascertained is, whether 
we will perform this duty ; or whether, in view of some ob- 
structions in our path, arising partly from the nature of the 
subject itself, and partly from the nature of our mental and 
moral constitution, we will " cast away the law of the Lord 
of Hosts, and despise the word of the Holy One of Israel.'* 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 293 

(Isa. V, 24.) The difficulties attending some parts of the 
word of God are a weighty reason, not only for personal 
diligence in study and meditation, and comparing scripture 
with scripture, &c.; but also for earnest prayer to the Fa- 
ther of Lights, for special divine illumination, and for the 
aids of that Holy Spirit, which searcheth all things, even 
the deep things of God. (1 Cor. ii, 10.) These aids of the 
Holy Spirit, we are in the holy scriptures repeatedly com- 
manded, to ask of God ; and we are at the same time as- 
sured, that he is willing to grant them freely to all who hum- 
bly ask for them. (Luke xi, 13 : James i, 5.) Now, the 
point to be ascertained is, w^hether ive ivill thus ask for that 
divine illumination, that Holy Spirit, whose peculiar official 
work it is to " help our infirmities," in this case, as well as 
in others ; and without whose blessed teaching and influence, 
we, indeed, "know nothing yet as we ought to know," (1 
Cor. viii, 2), of any part of the word of God. This, viz. 
the teaching and influence of the Holy Spirit, and earnest 
prayer for such teaching and influence, on the part of all 
those who would rightly interpret or understand the scrip- 
tures, is a matter of the greatest practical importance. " In 
thy light shall we see light." (Ps. xxxvi, 9.) The difficul- 
ties attending some points in revealed religion have driven 
many men to a critical and laborious investigation of the 
scriptures. But in too many instances, this same investi- 
gation, though commendable for the ardor and untiring dili- 
gence with which it was prosecuted, has been radically de- 
fective, and consequently has failed of issuing in those re- 
sults, which could have been wished for ; and has even led, 
in some cases, to very dangerous errors, in consequence of 
these men's depending too little on the teachings of the 
Holy Spirit, and too much on the mere powers of the human 
mind. What a striking exemplification of this has been af- 
forded within these twenty years past, by the literati of the 
new school in Germany ! Now, one reason why God has 
left in his word things of difficult comprehension, may be, 
not only to try and prove us thereby, whether we will be so 
much the more diligent in searching the scriptures, (as sure- 
ly for this same reason we ought to be); but, also, to ascer- 
tain whether we will search them with the right spirit, with 
25* 



294 CONCLUDING REMAEKS. 

a humble, docile, and prayerful frame of mind, sensible of 
our own ignorance, and of our utter inability, by reason of 
sin, to understand aright the things of the Spirit of God, 
without the teachings of that Spirit, (1 Cor. ii, 11, 14); or , 
whether, on the other hand, with a proud conceit of the suf- 
ficiency of human reason for this purpose, we will bewilder 
ourselves and others in useless speculations, and reject ^ 
whatever we find in the scriptures, that we cannot compre- 
hend, " vainly puffed up by our fleshly mind." In suppos- 
ing this to have been one reason for the fact in question, we 
only suppose an analogy between what God has said, and 
what he has done ; between his word, and his providential 
dispensations. 

III. Another reason why God has left in his word some 
things hard to be understood, may be, that thus there might 
be in the scriptures something adapted to every capacity ; 
and suited to gratify the various innocent tastes of men, 
(when those tastes were under proper regulations); and to 
call into exercise their various peculiar talents. There are 
among Christians, the strong and the weak. The truth of 
this, as a matter of fact, is not only declared in scripture, 
(Rom. XV, 1), but is sufficiently evident from daily observa- 
tion. Now, both these sorts of persons need their appro- 
priate nourishment. The one have need of milk ; the oth- 
er, in addition to that nourishment which is necessary for 
Christians in common, have need, sometimes, of strong 
meat also. This the apostle teaches, in Heb. v, 12 — 14 ; 
where, speaking of the latter particularly, he says, *' Strong 
meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who, 
by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both 
good and evil." What the apostle meant by strong meat, 
in this place, was, things not easily comprehended, in dis- 
tinction from the plainer and more simple truths of the gos- 
pel — things comparatively hard to be understood. This 
must be evident to an attentive, candid mind, not only from 
the connection in which the passage, containing this expres- 
sion, is found, (where the character of Melchiscdek is the 
subject referred to); but also from the metaphor itself, that 
is here used, viz. *' strong wiea/;" which is a thing of diffi- 
cult digestion, and which cannot be properly digested at all, 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 295^^ 

except by those whose digestive organs have become 
strengthened by age and use. Now, God hath, in merciful 
adaptation to the mental character, and to the spiritual state 
of his children, provided for each one of them his own proper 
portion. For the weak, who are encompassed with many 
infirmities ; who are " unskilful in the word of righteous- 
ness," and who are mere babes in the divine life, milk is 
provided, even '' the sincere milk 9f the word, that they may 
grow thereby." (1 Pet. ii, 2.) But for those who are " strong 
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," and who are advanced 
to much higher attainments in their christian course, strong 
meat is provided. Thus provision is made for " every one 
according to his several ability." — It is remarkable, also, 
that there is, among Christians, a great diversity of taste and 
of talent. Each one has his own peculiar genius, and cast 
of mind ; so that it is difficult to determine which we ought 
most to admire — the wisdom of God, in bestowing such 
"diversities of gifts," all which are needed, (1 Cor. xii), 
and may, by the divine blessing, be made greatly beneficial 
to different classes of persons, *' to the use of edifying ;" 
or — the goodness of God, as manifested in providing such 
a variety of matter in his word, that every taste may be gra- 
tified to a reasonable extent, and that no talent may remain 
either unoccupied, or useless. 

IV. Another reason why God has left so many difficulties 
in his word, may be, that he might show thereby the impor- 
tance and the necessity of good human teaching, and of a 
ivell educated ministry. These things, we know, are un- 
dervalued by many. The reasons of it are different in dif- 
ferent individuals. In some, the reason why man's teach- 
ing is so much undervalued, seems to be mere self-conceit ; 
a thinking of themselves more highly than they ought to 
think, and more highly than they^would think, had they more 
of genuine self-knowledge. Some seem to think they know 
enough now ; or, if they do not, that they are capable of 
knowing all they need to know about these things, of them- 
selves, and without help from others. In others, the reason 
seems to be, the erroneous vieivs they have about the teach" 
ings of the Holy Ghost ; as though such teachings were ever 
designed to supersede divine institutions and the use of 



296 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

means, or were ever to be expected without the use of sucfn 
means as are within our reach. But however the fact in 
question may be accounted for, its existence, to some ex- 
tent, is undeniable. But the judgment of God, which is in 
all cases according to truth, is very different from the judg- 
ment of these men, in respect to this matter. This appears 
from what he has said, and from what he has done. He 
has said, " How then shall they call on him, in whom they 
have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him, of 
whom they have not heard 1 and how shall they hear, with- 
out a preacher ?" (Rom. x, 14.) When a people are depriv- 
ed of, or are not favored with good human teachers, and are 
thus as sheep scattered abroad, having no shepherd, their 
state is viewed by Christ as being most deplorable. (Mat. 
ix, 36 — 38.) Among the precious blessings which God pro- 
mises to his people, is that of such teachers. *' And I will 
give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed 
you with knowledge and understanding." (Jer. iii, 15.) That 
God views human teaching and instruction as very impor- 
tant ; or rather, that he considers it very important that his 
own truth should be explained, his precepts enforced, and 
his ordinances and institutions maintained, by human in- 
strumentality, appears also from what he has done. Under 
the Mosaic economy, the tribe of Levi, more especially the 
family of Aaron, in all their successive generations, were, 
by divine appointment, assigned to this very business ; and, 
that they might not be encumbered with worldly concerns, 
to the neglect of their appropriate work, provision was made, 
by divine direction, for their worldly maintenance and sup- 
port by the people. To their priests, their human teachers, 
it was made the duty of the people to repair for instruction, 
in the law of God. (Mai. ii, 7.) And beside them, there 
was an extraordinary class of men, called seers or prophets, 
who were raised up by God for the same general purpose. 
*' The office of a prophet was not confined to the prediction 
of future events. It was their province to instruct the peo- 
ple, and they interpreted the law of God. Hence the words 
prophet and prophecy are, in many passages of the scrip- 
tures, synonymous with interpreter or teacher, and interpre- 
tation or teaching." (T. H. Home.) It should also be ob» 



CONCLUDmO REMARKS. 297 

served and remembered, that those prophets were usually 
educated in seminaries instituted for that purpose, that they 
might thereby be the better qualified for the business of 
teaching and interpreting the word of God, as well as for 
their other official duties. These seminaries were called 
Schools of the prophets. On this subject, Edwards, in his 
History of Redemption, says as follows : — *' And because 
God intended a constant succession of prophets from Sam- 
uel's time, therefore, in his time was begun a school of the 
prophets ; that is, a school of young men, that were trained 
up under some great prophet, who was their master and 
teacher in the study of divine things, and the practice of 
holiness, to fit them for this office, as God should call them 
to it. Those young men that belonged to these schools, 
were called the sons of the prophets ; and oftentimes they 
are called prophets. These, at first, were under the tuition 
of Samuel. Thus we read of Samuel's being appointed 
over them, (1 Sam. xix, 20.) The company of prophets 
that we read of, 1 Sam. x, 5, were the same. Afterwards 
we read of their being under Elijah. Elisha was one of his 
sons ; but he desired to have a double portion of his spirit, 
as his successor, as his first-born, as the eldest son was 
wont to have a double portion of the estate of his father ; 
and therefore the sons of the prophets, when they perceived 
that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha, submitted them- 
selves to him, and owned him for their master, as they had 
done Elijah before him ; as you may see, 2 Kings ii, 15. 
And so, after this, EHsha was their master, or teacher ; he 
had the care and instruction of them ; as you may see, 2 
Kings iv, 38. — In Elijah and Elisha's time, there were sev- 
eral places where there resided companies of these sons of 
the prophets ; as there was one at Bethel, and another at 
Jericho, and another at Gilgal, unless that at Gilgal and 
Jericho were the same ; and possibly that which is called 
the college, where the prophetess Huldah resided, was ano- 
ther at Jerusalem. (See 2 Kings xxii, 14.) It is there said 
of Huldah the prophetess, that she dwelt in Jerusalem in the 
college. They had houses built, where they used to dwell 
together ; and therefore, those at Jericho, being multipHed, 
and finding their house too little for them, desired leave of 



298 CONCLUDING REMARKS, 

their master and teacher Elisha, that they might go and hew 
timber to build a bigger, as you may see, 2 Kings vi, 1, 2. 
At some times, there were numbers of these sons of the 
prophets in Israel ; for whep, Jezebel cut off the prophets of 
the Lord, it is said, that Obadiah took an hundred of them, 
and hid them by fifty in a cave. (1 Kings xviii, 4.) These 
schools of the prophets, being set up by Samuel, and 
afterwards kept up by such great prophets as Elijah and 
Elisha, must be of divine appointment ; and accordingly 
we find, that those sons of the prophets were often favored 
with a degree of inspiration, while they continued under 
tuition in the schools of the prophets ; and God commonly, 
when he called any prophet to the constant exercise of the 
prophetical ofl^ice, and to some extraordinary service, took 
them out of those schools ; though not universally. Hence 
the prophet Amos, speaking of his being called to the pro- 
phetical ofiice, says, that he was one that had not been edu- 
cated in the schools of the prophets, and was not one of the 
sons of the prophets. (Amos vii, 14, 15.) But Amos's tak- 
ing notice of it as remarkable, that he should be called to 
be a prophet, that had not been educated at the schools of 
the prophets, shows that it was God's ordinary manner to 
take his prophets out of these schools ; for therein he did 
but bless his own institution." (See Edwards on Redemp- 
tion.) It should also be remembered, that under the chriS' 
Han economy or dispensation, God hath, in his wisdom, 
made the same general arrangement in respect to human 
teaching, and for supplying his church with human teachers, 
(Mat. xxviii, 20 : 1 Cor. ix, 14 : Eph. iv, 11, 12 : 1 Tim. 
V, 17) ; and has required that they be qualified for their 
work, by being themselves properly instructed, (Luke vi, 
39 : 1 Tim. iii, 6 : 2 Tim. ii, 15) ; and has told them what, 
among other things, they must do for this purpose, (1 Tim. 
iv, 13 — 16.) Now, all this certainly shows the great impor- 
tance, in God's view, of human teaching, or rather of his 
teaching the people his statutes and his truth hy human in- 
strumentality. It shows, also, that all those men who en- 
gage in this business, should be themselves duly qualified 
for their work. He might, doubtless, have taught them in 
other ways. Nay, he inight have so constituted things, that 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 209 

110 mediums of instruction whatever would have been requi- 
site ; but all communications which he saw good to make 
to mankind, whether '^ for doctrine, reproof, correction, or 
instruction in righteousness," might have been made direct" 
ly and immediately from himself. But he has not so done. 
He has not seen it best so to do. It has seemed good in 
his sight, not only in general to use means for this purpose, 
but also to make some of mankind helpers and instruments 
of good to the others, in this as well as in other respects. 
Indeed, most men acknowledge this, not only in word, but in 
deed also. Every theological seminary or school, founded or 
supported by them, is a practical recognition, on their part, of 
this truth. So is also their supporting of the gospel-minis- 
try. All these things seem to furnish satisfactory evidence 
of their conviction, that they cannot understand sufficiently 
some things which they read in the Bible, except some man 
should guide them, (Acts viii, 31) ; or, at least, except God 
should give them such an understanding through mail's in- 
strumentality. And it may be for the purpose, in part, of 
impressing still more strongly on the minds of men the im- 
portance of good human teaching, and of a well educated 
ministry, as a means in order to this, that God hath left in 
his word some things hard to be understood, and which can- 
not be understood fully^ without some other help than what 
the Bible itself, and especially our English Bible, affords. 

V. Another reason why God hath left in his word things 
hard to be understood, (and which cannot be fully compre- 
hended in the present world), we may well suppose to be 
this, viz : that we might thereby be induced to long after 
that bright and happy worlds where the darkness will have 
been past, and the true light will shine in all its effulgence ; 
where the book, now in a measure shut, will be opened, and 
every one of the seals thereof will be loosed. One most 
interesting view, in which heaven is represented to us in the 
holy scriptures, is, that it is a world of light and knowledge. 
" For now we see through a glass darkly ; but then face to 
face : Now I know in part ; but then shall I know, even as 
also I am known." (1 Cor. xiii, 12.) " And the city had no 
need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it ; for 
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light 



300 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

thereof." (Rev. xxi, 23.) Doubtless the light and know- 
ledge of the heavenly state will far exceed all that it is pos- 
sible for us to conceive of, in the present world. " Then 
we shall know more than we can now imagine. And then 
we shall apprehend truth in its relations and consequences, 
not, as at present, by that tedious and fallible process which 
we call reasoning, but by a single glance of thought, as the 
sight pierces in an instant through the largest transparent 
body." (Newton. ) Glorified spirits will have a far more en- 
larged view of God's works of creation and providence, 
than they had, or could have, in this world. Hence their 
song will be, " Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord 
God Almighty : Just and true are thy ways, thou King of 
Saints." (Rev. xv, 3.) But, as the work of redemption is 
the most glorious of all the divine works, with which we are 
acquainted ; so this we must suppose to be the object that 
will principally occupy their attention. If angels desire to 
look into these things, (1 Pet. i, 12), much more, we may 
conclude, will this be the desire of the " redeemed from 
among men ;" for they will not only be angel-like, (Luke 
XX, 36, compared with Mat. xxii, 30), but will also feel, in 
some respects, a far deeper interest in these things, than it 
is possible the angels should feel ; the former, and not the 
latter, being the persons who shall have been in fact redeem- 
ed. This work and plan of redemption is indeed now 
" made known to the sons of men," so far as is necessary 
for their salvation. But how little a portion of it do we 
know, or can we know, in this dark world ! Many things 
relating to it are mysteries still. (1 Tim. iii, 16.) But in 
the future world, these mysteries will be revealed ; and then 
those parts of the word of God, which are at present hard to 
be understood, and all which have a bearing, more or less 
direct, on the plan and work of redemption, will be fully ex- 
plained and understood. 

*'Then shall I see, and hear, and know, 

All I desir'd or wish'd below; \ 

And every power find sweet employ, 

In that eternal world of joy." 

And it may have been, nay, we may conclude it was, partly, 
for the purpose of leading his people to long more intensely 



I 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 301 

for that bright and blessed world, that God hath permitted 
so many clouds, and so much darkness, to rest upon some 
parts of his loord, as well as upon many of his providential 
dispensations, during the present life. 

To the foregoing remarks I would add ; how grateful 
should we he, that there are in the scriptures only some 
things tjiat are hard to be understood ! These are, indeed, 
considerably numerous ; as appears, in part, from the pre- 
ceding pages, and as might be shown still more fully by a 
more extended specification ; for only a part of those scrip- 
tural passages, that are attended with some difficulty, is no- 
ticed in this work. At the same time, those passages, which 
are of this description, are but few, comparatively, com^di' 
red with the remainder of the sacred volume. By far the 
greatest part of the Bible is plain, raid easy to be understoody 
by all those whose " heart is right in the sight of God," if 
they have only a common share of intellect, and if they will 
exert their faculties in search*, ig the scriptures, with humble 
and fervent prayer for divine teaching, and in the use of those 
means with which a kind Providence has favored them, or 
has, at least, placed within their reach. It ought, moreover, 
to be observed, that most of those scriptural passages, that 
are hard to be understood, are of but little importance to us 
in a practical view, compared with those which are more 
plain and obvious. In relation to all the great concerns of 
christian faith and practice, the holy scriptures are plain, 
and easy to be understood ; so that no one can excuse him- 
self for neglecting them, by the plea, '* I am not learned." 
(Isa. xxix, 12.) It ha's been remarked above, that in res- 
pect to the mere fact of difficulties and incomprehensibles, 
there is an analogy between the divine word, and the divine 
providence, or those events which frequently take place 
under the providential reign of God. It may now be added, 
that this analogy appears in another respect. In all those 
things which are neces^aiy for the sustenance, health, and 
vigor of our bodies, our Creator has provided for us most 
liberally and abundantly, in the various productions and in- 
exhaustible treasures of the earth. "Who can live without 
water 1 Behold how freely and abundantly it flows ! How 
indispensable are the productions of the vegetable and min- 

26 



302 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

eral kingdoms ! And how abundant are they ! How neces- 
sary for various pui-poses is fuel ! And what a vast quantity 
of it is found in the forests and fields ! In short, how muni- 
iicently hath He provided for us from this earth, whatsoever 
IS needful for food and raiment, and for our worldly com- 
fort ! And with what facility may a competency of these 
things be ordinarily attained by us ! As to the luxuries of 
life, and such things, as, though pleasant to the eye and to 
the taste, are not necessary for our welfare ; they are more 
scarce, and of more difficult attainment. Now, somewhat 
similar to this is the fact, in respect to the holy scriptures. 
All those instructions which are most needful for us ; '' all 
things that pertain unto life and godliness," (2 Pet. i, 3) ; 
all things that are immediately necessary, for the sustenance, 
health, and vigor of our souls, in the divine life, are there 
provided for us in abundance, and may, at the same time, 
be understood by us without any serious difficulty ; provid- 
ed, only, our hearts are right, and we are diligent in the use 
of the appointed means. As to those parts of the Bible, 
which are of difficult comprehension, and which are few, 
(compared with the remainder of that blessed book), we may 
well conclude, that an accurate knowledge of them is by no 
means essential to our well-being, either here or hereafter. 
Now, how grateful should we be for this ! At the same time, 
we should aspire after higher attainments. Those parts of 
the Bible, which are attended with difficulty, especially to 
the unlearned, "v^ill be found, in many cases, to relate to 
some of the most sublime and interesting points in revealed 
religion. They should not, therefore, be despised or neg- 
lected, because they may, at first, be hard to be understood ; 
any more than a higher and more elevated p^raciical piety is 
to be undervalued and despised, because it cannot be attain- 
ed without difficulty, and because a lower degree of it will 
render us comfortable and useful, to some extent, in this 
world, and -will insure our eternal salvation in the world to 
come. We are required to leave the principles (i. e. the 
first principles, the elements) of the doctrine of Christ, and 
to go on unto perfection, (Heb. vi, 1); and not to be child- 
ren in understanding, but in the understanding (of divine 
things), to be men. (1 Cor. xiv, 20.) If we would grow in 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 303 

gracBy we must, for this purpose, grow in knowledge. That 
hungering and thirsting after righteousness, which consti- 
tutes at once the character and the blessedness of true Chris- 
tians, (Mat. V, 6), involves an earnest desire for the increas- 
ing knowledge of God, and of his word ; as well as for in- 
creasing moral conformity to him. Indeed, the former, 
when it is of the right kind ; when it is not only the know- 
ledge of the true God, but the true knowledge of God, in- 
cludes the latter. There is a knowledge that puffeth up. 
(1 Cor. viii, 1.) But those, on whom their knowledge pro- 
duces such an effect, ought to remember, that they really 
know nothing yet as they ought to know. What if that 
knowledge of the scriptures, which many have, together 
with the use they make of it, will only prove the means of 
aggravating their final condemnation. This need not be the 
case with us. Though the superficial knowledge of some 
may inflate them with pride, there is no tendency in igno- 
rance to promote true humility, or any other branch of mo- 
ral goodness. The occasional abuse of a thing is no argu- 
ment against its excellency, as it is in itself; nor against its 
great usefulness, when it is used as it ought to be. While, 
then, we are grateful that most parts of the divine word are 
so plain and so intelligible, let us remember that there are 
other most precious treasures in this field, which cannot be 
found without digging for them, seeking them as silver, 
and searching for them as for hid treasures ; but which, 
when found, will prove an abundant recompense for all the 
labor spent in their acquisition. 



I^DEX. 



TEXTS CRITICISED AND EXPLAINED IN THIS WORK- 



Fas:e. 



Page. 



MATTHEW. 




MARK. 


i-j 


Chapter iii, 12, 


7 


Chapter ii, 18, 


28 


V, 13, 


ib. 


iii, 14, 


29 


21, 


8 


vi, 12, 


ib. 


23, 24, 


ib. 


ix, 49, 


30 


39, 


9 


xi, 13, 14, 


31 


vi, 30, 


ib. 


xiii, 11, 


33 


34, 


ib. 


XV, 23, 


34 


vii, 21, 


10 






23, 


ib. 


LUKE. 




viii, 4, 


11 


Chapter ii, 1, 


34 


22, 


ib. 


8—12, 


35 


sii, 5, 


ib. 


iv, 20, 


36 


40, 


12 


V, 37,38, 


ib. 


43, 44, 


14 


vi, 1, and 12, 


37 


xiii, 30, 


16 


vii, 28, 


38 


xiv, 26, 


17 


36—39, 


ib. 


xri, 18, 


ib. 


viii, 22, 


40 


xviii, 19, 


19 


xii, 35, 


ib. 


34, 


20 


xiii, 24, 


41 


xix, 24, 


ib. 


xiv, 23, 


ib. 


28, 


22 


26, 


42 


XX, 23, 


23 


XV, 7, 


43 


xxii, 28—33, 


ib. 


18, 


44 


xxiii, 5, 


24 


xvi, 8,9, 


45 


27, 


ib. 


xvii, 12, 


46 


xxjv, 15, 


25 


xix, 22, 


ib. 


17, 


ib. 


XX, 18, 


47 


41, 


26 


xxi,ll. 


ib. 


xx7, 36, 


27 


xxii, 32, 


48 


xxviii, 19, 


ib. 


xxiii, 31, 


ib. 



306 



INDEX. 





Page. 


Page, 


JOHN. 




I. CORINTHIANS. 




Chapter i, 16, 


49 


Chapter i, 26, 


85 


'21, 


ib. 


ii, 9, 


86 


iii, 3, 


50 


iii, 13, 


ib. 


12, 


51 


iv, 4, 


87 


13, 


ib. 


15, 


88 


23, 


52 


V, 11, 


89 


iv, 11, 


ib. 


vi, 4, 


90 


20, 


53 


vii, 14, 


91 


V, 18, 


55 


25, 


93 


31, 


ib. 


36, 


94 


viii, 36y 


56 


ix, 24—26, 


ib. 


X, 12, 


ib. 


. X, 20, 


95 


xiv, 12, 


53 


xi, 5, 


96 


XV, 2, 


59 


10, 


97 


XYi, 13, 


ib. 


14,15, 


ib. 


23, 


ib. 


28, 


98 


xix, 11, 


61 


29, 


99 


XX, 17, 


62 


xii, 7, 


ib. 






xiii, 1, 


100 


ACTS. 




13, 


102 


Chapter i, 6, 


62 


xiv, 1, 


103 


12, 


63 


XV, 22, 


ib. 


ii, 27, 


64 


24, 


105 


vi, 1, 


65 


25, 


107 


ix, 7, comp'd with ) nn 
xxii, 9, s 


29, 


108 


xiv, 15, 


ib. 


II. CORINTHIANS 




xvi, 34, 


68 


Chapterii, 14— 16, 


* 109 


xvii, 3, 


69 


17, 


110 






iii, 18, 


112 


ROMANS. 




iv, 17, 


ib. 


Chapter!, 17, 


71 


viu, 1, 


113 


ii, 5, 


ib. 


16, 17, 


ib. 


iv, 4, 5, 


72 


xii, 2, 


114 


11, 


ib. 


16, 


ib. 


V, 7, 


74 






12, 


ib. 


GALATIANS. 




14, 


75 


Chapter V, 4, 


115 


vi, 17. 


76 


vi, 4, and 17, 


117 


viii, 16, 


ib. 






ix, 1-4, 


77 


EPHESIANS. 




xi, 24. 


81 


Chapter iv, 5, 


119 


xiv, 5, 


83 


8, 


ib. 


6, 


ib. 


30, 


120 


22, 


84 


vi, 19, 


121 



INDEX. 



307 



PHILIPPIANS. 


Page. 


Chap, ix, 28, 


Page. 
163 


Chapter i, 10, 


123 


X, 4, 


164 


23, 


ib. 


26, 27, 


165 


iii, 2, 


124 


29, 


167 


11, 


ib. 


xi, 4, 


169 


20, 


125 


6, 


170 






xii, 1, 2, 


ib. 


COLOSSIANS. 




17, 


172 


Chapter i, 24, 


125 


18, 


173 


ii, 8, 


126 


24, 


174 


18, 


127 






iii, 14, 


128 


JAMES. 








Chapter i, 13, 


174 


I. THESSALONIANS. 


ii, 24, 


175 


Chapter ii, 17, 


129 


V, 16, 


176 


iii, 13, 


ib. 






iv, 15, 


ISO 


I. PETER. 




ir. THESSALONIANS. 

Chapter ii, 7, 8, 131 


Chapter i, 5, 

iii, 19, 20, 


176 
177 


11, 12, 


132 


11. PETER. 




I. TIMOTHY. 




Chapter i, 20, 


179 


Chapter ii, 4, 


132 


ii, 1, 


180 


14, 15, 


135 






iv, 1—4, 


136 


h JOHN. 




T. 9, 


137 


Chapter i, 7, 


181 


vi, 8, 


ib. 


iii, 9, 


ib. 


II. TIMOTHY. 




JUDE. 




Chapter i, 10, 


138 


Verse 9, 


182 


ii, 4, 


ib. 






iii, 16, 


139 


REVELATION. 








Chapter iv, 6, 


183 


HEBREWS. 




y, h 


184 


Chapter ii, 5, 


145 


xi, 1-13, 


ib. 


9, 


ib. 


XX, 4,5, 


192 


16, 


146 






iv, 9, 


147 






12, 


148 






V, 4, 


149 


GENESIS. 




7, 


151 


Chapter ii, 17, 


200 


12, 


154 


xlr, 2, 


201 


vii, 1, 


156 


xlvi, 27, 


202 


viii^ 8—12, 


159 


1,3, 


203 



308 


INDEX. 




Fao;e. \ 




Fage. 


EXODUS. 




NEHEMIAH. 




Chapter vii, 8-^11, 


204 


Chapter vi, 5, 


255 


NUMBERS, 




PSALMS. 




Chapter iv, 1—8, 


219 


Psalm xxii, 3, 


255 


xxii, 20—22, 


ib. 


li, 16, 


256 


XXV, 9, 


221 


lix, 14, 15, 


ib. 






Ixxii, 6—17, 


257 


DEUTERONOMY. 




Ixxxvii, 5, 


260 


Chapter vii, 22, 


222 


cix, 7, &c. 


ib. 


XX, 16, 17, 


ib. 


cxxix, 6, 


261 


xxxii, 36, 


22S 


cxxxix, 21, 22, 


ib. 


JOSHUA. 




PROVERBS. 




Chapter ix, 23, 


229 


Chapter ix, 1—4, 


262 






XX, 1, 


ib. 


JUDGES. 




. xxiv, 9, 


270 


Chapter xi, 30, 31, 


230 










ECCLESIASTES. 


I. SAMUEL. 




Chapter ix, 1, 


270 


Chapter ix, 7, 


239 






xxviii, 11, 12, 


240 


ISAIAH. 




xxxi, 4, 


242 


Chapter xiv. 3—23, 


271 






xix, 1, 


274 


II. SAMUEL. 




xlY, 1-7, 


275 


Chapter xii, 21—23, 


244 


liii, 3, 


279 


xxiv, 1, 2, 9, 10, 


245 


8,. 


280 


24, 


247 


JEREMIAH. 




I. KINGS. 




Chapter iii, 2, 


280 


Chapter ii, 8, 9, 


248 


XX, 7, 


281 


II. KINGS. 




HOSEA. 




Chapter v, 18, 


252 


Chapter V, 11, 


281 


I. CHRONICLES. 




JONAH. 


; 


Chapter xix, 7, 


254 


Chapter iii, 10, 


282 


II. CHRONICLES 








Chapter xxxv, 24, 


' 254 


Concluding Remarks, 


290 



3477 



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